Best Beaches Statistics in US 2026 | Key Facts

Beaches in the US 2026

America’s beaches have always been at the heart of domestic travel, and heading into 2026, that trend shows no signs of slowing down. The United States boasts one of the most diverse and expansive coastlines on the planet — stretching across the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and even the Great Lakes — giving travelers an almost overwhelming number of world-class options to explore. From the marine-rich coves of San Diego to the powdery white sands of Florida’s Gulf Coast, the best beaches in the US in 2026 are drawing millions of visitors and raking in billions of dollars in economic impact year after year. With the most up-to-date data, rankings, and research now available, this is the year to finally understand just how significant America’s coastal tourism economy really is.

What makes US beach tourism statistics in 2026 particularly compelling is how powerfully they confirm beaches as the country’s single most popular tourist destination — eclipsing theme parks, national parks, sporting events, and cruises combined. According to the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), there are roughly 3.4 billion visits to US beaches annually, a figure that is staggering in its scale. Florida alone welcomed a record-breaking 142.9 million visitors in 2024, and the trajectory for 2026 is pointing even higher. On February 17, 2026, Tripadvisor released its authoritative Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Beaches awards, naming La Jolla Cove in California as the #1 beach in the United States — evidence that travelers are increasingly seeking out destinations that offer unique ecological and sensory experiences alongside the traditional sun-and-sand getaway.

Interesting Facts About Best Beaches in the US 2026

Sources: Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice 2026 (PR Newswire, Feb 17, 2026); ASBPA / Shore & Beach Vol. 92 No. 2 (2024); VISIT FLORIDA Research (2025); Florida Governor’s Office (2025); Palm Beach Now (Feb 2026); South Carolina Dept. of Tourism Governor’s Conference (Feb 2026); NOAA Office for Coastal Management (2024)

The facts laid out in the table above paint a vivid picture of just how dominant America’s best beaches are as tourism magnets. The most jaw-dropping figure is arguably the 3.4 billion annual visits to US beaches — a number that dwarfs every other domestic attraction category put together. That kind of foot traffic translates directly into the $520 billion in total annual economic output generated by beach tourists, and the $240 billion in direct spending they pump into local communities. These aren’t abstract projections — they come from peer-reviewed research published in Shore & Beach by ASBPA coastal economist Dr. J.R. Houston in 2024, making them among the most credible data points available on US beach economics today.

Equally striking are the regional specifics. Florida’s 142.9 million visitor record in 2024 and 34.4 million visitors in Q2 2025 alone confirm the Sunshine State’s unassailable position as the epicenter of US beach tourism. Meanwhile, the emergence of La Jolla Cove, California as the #1 ranked beach in the US in 2026 — per Tripadvisor’s latest Travelers’ Choice Awards released on February 17, 2026 — signals a broader traveler appetite for beaches that offer ecological depth and unique marine experiences. And Siesta Key’s famous 99% pure quartz crystal sand, which stays 10–15°F cooler than beaches like Clearwater or Daytona, shows just how science-backed distinctions can drive the popularity of specific best beaches in the US.

Top 10 Best Beaches in the US 2026 — Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Rankings

Source: Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Beaches 2026, published February 17, 2026 — based on analysis of millions of traveler reviews submitted November 30, 2024 through December 1, 2025. Rankings confirmed via PR Newswire official press release and Clearwater Patch (Feb 18–19, 2026).

The 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice rankings for best beaches in the US reveal a geography-driven dominance of three states: California, Florida, and Hawaii. Florida leads with 4 of the top 10 spots, while Hawaii claims 3 entries and California holds 2 positions — including the coveted #1 ranking. La Jolla Cove in San Diego rising to the top spot is particularly significant. This protected underwater park, surrounded by sandstone cliffs and home to resident sea lion colonies and seasonal gray whale migrations, earned its place through the sheer volume and quality of traveler reviews submitted over the 12-month review window. Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings achieve Best of the Best status, making every name on this list a true standout.

Florida’s Clearwater Beach at #2 is a perennial powerhouse, beloved for its accessible turquoise waters and family-friendly Pier 60 atmosphere. The four Florida entries together represent coastal communities in the Tampa Bay area, Sarasota County, Panama City, and Dunedin — showing that the state’s beach excellence isn’t confined to one region. Hawaii’s representation is equally impressive, with Oahu’s Waimea Bay, Kahanamoku Beach, and Lanikai Beach showcasing the island state’s unrivaled natural beauty. California’s Santa Monica State Beach at #7 adds the urban beach archetype to the list, catering to the millions of visitors who want cultural richness alongside their sand and surf — making it clear that the best beaches in the US in 2026 span an impressive range of experiences and environments.

Best Beaches Economic Impact Statistics in the US 2026

Sources: ASBPA / Shore & Beach Vol. 92 No. 2 (2024) — Dr. J.R. Houston, coastal economist; NOAA Office for Coastal Management Tourism & Recreation Fast Facts (2024); Hotelagio Beach Tourism Statistics (2025); Palm Beach Now (Feb 2026); Local Life Homes / Visit Sarasota County Q2 2025 Survey

The sheer financial weight behind US beach tourism in 2026 is difficult to overstate. When beach tourists generate $520 billion in total economic output annually, that figure isn’t just large in the abstract — it’s larger than the combined revenue of entire industry sectors. As Dr. J.R. Houston noted in his landmark 2024 paper published by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, beach tourists spend more each year than the value of all crops grown in America. The $36 billion in annual tax revenue generated by those visitors is over four times greater than the total amount spent on all beach nourishment projects over an entire century — a fact that makes the case for coastal investment essentially airtight from a pure return-on-investment standpoint.

At the local level, these numbers translate into very real community lifelines. Palm Beach County’s $11.7 billion in tourism economic impact in 2025 — driven by a record 10.7 million visitors — funded beach restoration, cultural institutions, and sports facilities through bed tax revenue. The county’s hotel revenue per available room hit $188, outpacing the Florida statewide average of $134. Sarasota County’s visitor economy, anchored by Siesta Key Beach with its scientifically distinct quartz-crystal sand, still surpassed $2.5 billion annually even amid a modest regional tourism dip in 2024. These data points together confirm that investment in maintaining and promoting the best beaches in the US pays off at a scale few other public or private initiatives can match.

Florida Best Beaches Tourism Statistics in the US 2026

Sources: VISIT FLORIDA Research — Q4 2024 Visitor Estimates Packet (Feb 2025); Florida Governor’s Office press releases (2025); Florida Realtors (Aug 2025); Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice 2026 (Feb 17, 2026); World Population Review — Coastline by State (2026); Local Life Homes Siesta Key Guide (2025)

Florida’s standing as the undisputed best beach state in the US is thoroughly validated by the 2026 data. The state’s 142.9 million total visitors in 2024 represented not just a state record, but an absolute benchmark that speaks to Florida’s extraordinary capacity to attract travelers year-round. By Q2 2025, the all-time quarterly record had already been broken again with 34.4 million visitors, and beach-adjacent airports like St. Petersburg-Clearwater were growing at 14.0% — one of the fastest rates in the entire state. Four Florida beaches earned spots in Tripadvisor’s 2026 US Top 10 Best Beaches: Clearwater at #2, Siesta at #6, St. Andrews State Park at #8, and Honeymoon Island State Park at #10. Together, these four represent the full spectrum of Florida’s coastal identity — from the lively urban beaches of the Tampa Bay region to the pristine dune ecosystems of the Panhandle.

What’s remarkable about Florida’s beach tourism statistics in 2026 is how consistently the numbers trend upward despite macroeconomic headwinds. Even as international Canadian visitors dipped by 15.1% in Q3 2025 due to geopolitical tensions and tariff concerns, total visitor numbers remained resilient because domestic demand continued to fill the gap. The state’s 8,436 miles of tidal shoreline — second only to Alaska nationally — gives Florida a seemingly inexhaustible supply of beachfront product to market, and the data shows travelers are eager to explore every mile of it. Siesta Key’s $322 average nightly Airbnb rate at 75% occupancy is a particularly telling indicator of how premium the best Florida beaches in the US 2026 have become in the eyes of travelers willing to pay for exceptional quality.

US Coastline and Beach Count Statistics in the US 2026

Sources: NOAA Shoreline Mileage Data (coast.noaa.gov); Statista — US Coastline by State (accessed 2025); EPA BEACH Act Report 2023 (published July 2024); World Population Review — Coastline Length by State (2026); Getmyboat Public Beach Analysis; Wounded Nature — Tidal Coastline Miles by State

Understanding the raw geography behind the best beaches in the US helps put 2026’s rankings in context. The United States sits atop one of the world’s most expansive coastal networks — 12,383 miles of general coastline and over 88,633 miles of detailed tidal shoreline across both the Atlantic and Pacific, plus the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. Of that enormous total, only about 3,800 miles — roughly 4% — is maintained by city, state, or federal park systems as public tourist beaches. This relative scarcity compared to the total available shoreline helps explain why the beaches that do make top US beach lists in 2026 generate such disproportionate economic activity. The EPA, through its BEACH Act program, monitors 5,525 public beaches across 30 states, territories, and tribal areas — a critical water-quality infrastructure that directly influences which shores earn top safety and cleanliness ratings.

Alaska holds the longest coastline of any US state at 33,904 tidal miles, but its frigid waters mean it contributes little to the recreational beach tourism economy. Florida’s 8,436 miles of tidal shoreline, by contrast, is almost entirely swimmable and monetizable — which is a major structural reason why Florida beaches dominate US rankings in 2026 the way they do. California’s protected national monument coastline of 3,427 miles provides the environmental conditions that made La Jolla Cove #1 in the US for 2026 — a protected underwater park where marine biodiversity thrives precisely because of active coastline stewardship. These geographic and regulatory realities feed directly into which specific shores rise to the top of authoritative best beach rankings in the US each year.

Top Beach States Visitor Statistics in the US 2026

Sources: VISIT FLORIDA Research (2025); Florida Governor’s Office (2025, 2026); Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice 2026 (Feb 17, 2026); SC Dept. of Tourism Governor’s Conference (Feb 2026); Palm Beach Now (Feb 2026); Hotelagio Beach Tourism Statistics (2025); Clearwater Patch (Feb 18–19, 2026)

The state-by-state breakdown of US beach tourism statistics in 2026 makes one thing unmistakably clear: Florida, California, and Hawaii collectively define the best beach landscape in the United States. These three states account for 9 out of the top 10 beaches in Tripadvisor’s 2026 US rankings. Florida’s sheer volume — 142.9 million state visitors in 2024 and multiple quarterly records broken in 2025 — is simply unparalleled. California’s coast, while receiving fewer dedicated beach tourists than Florida, punched far above its weight in prestige terms, with La Jolla Cove claiming the top spot for 2026. Hawaii’s three Tripadvisor Top 10 entries reflect the state’s brand as an aspirational beach destination — one that commands premium pricing and generates lasting traveler loyalty.

South Carolina’s coastline story is equally instructive. The state’s Tourism Director noted in February 2026 that two-thirds of all South Carolina tourism revenue comes from coastal destinations, with 80% of visitors arriving by car. This road-trip-driven coastal economy is a different model than Florida or Hawaii, but no less significant at the regional level. And for Palm Beach County, crossing the 10 million visitor threshold for the first time in 2025 — while generating $11.7 billion in economic impact — represents a watershed moment in the evolution of South Florida as a premier beach tourism destination in the US. Hotel revenue per available room at $188 — well above the state average of $134 — shows that quality beach destinations can command significant premiums and still sustain record visitor volumes.

Beach Water Quality and Safety Statistics in the US 2026

Sources: EPA BEACH Act Report 2023 (published July 2024); Visit Sarasota County Q2 2025 Survey (via Local Life Homes, 2025); NOAA Marine Debris Program; ASBPA / Shore & Beach (2024); Recommend.com — Florida Tourism Q3 2025 (Jan 2026); Florida Governor’s Office (2025)

Water quality and environmental safety are increasingly central to what makes a best beach in the US in 2026. The EPA’s BEACH Act program monitors 5,525 public beaches across the country, providing the data infrastructure that allows travelers to make informed decisions about where to swim. For the top-ranked US beaches in 2026, quality scores are exceptional: Siesta Key’s cleanliness satisfaction sits at 96% per Q2 2025 survey data, the beach has recorded zero major red tide events since 2023, and beach litter has been cut by 15% year-over-year through targeted waste reduction programs. A $4.3 million dune restoration investment and turtle-safe lighting infrastructure round out a commitment to ecological stewardship that is increasingly influencing traveler rankings and reviews.

NOAA’s research on marine debris adds a sharp economic warning to the environmental discussion: more debris directly reduces visitor days and can strip hundreds of millions of dollars from local beach economies. This creates a compelling alignment between ecological responsibility and economic self-interest for coastal communities that manage the best beaches in the United States. The beach nourishment investment of approximately $9 billion over 100 years looks remarkably prudent against the backdrop of $36 billion in annual tax revenues generated by beach tourists — a return ratio that makes the case for continued public coastal investment essentially inarguable. For 2026, the states and counties that invested most heavily in beach quality, accessibility, and environmental protection are precisely the ones sitting atop every best beaches in the US 2026 ranking.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

Email ID:

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email

Email *

SUBSCRIBE