Most Underrated Beach Towns for Summer Vacation

Warm weather, beautiful beaches, and the company of friends or family is how many Americans want to spend their summer. While some people enjoy the hustle and bustle of top tourist destinations, others desire a retreat to a lesser known vacation spot. And for those quiet moments in between — whether you’re relaxing by the water or unwinding at the end of the day — even a simple game of Solitaire can be the perfect way to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

From the noise levels to the long lines everywhere you go, at Solitaire Bliss, we know that an overly crowded beach town can make it hard to relax on a vacation. That’s why we set out to learn which beach towns are most underrated.

From a carefully curated list of beach towns with little to no national reputation, we assessed the presence and quality of various amenities like dining, recreation, shopping and entertainment. Using this data, we then calculated an underrated score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most underrated beach towns. Read on to learn which destinations topped our ranking.

Key Takeaways

• Treasure Island, FL, is the most underrated beach town for summer vacation.
• Westerly, RI, and Rye, NH, are the most underrated beach towns for young adults.
• Treasure Island, FL, and Scituate, MA, are the most underrated beach towns for families.
• Bradenton Beach, FL, and Garden City Beach, SC, are the best underrated beach towns for outdoor activities.
• St. George Island, FL, and Port St. Joe, FL, are the best beach towns for foodies.

Best Underrated Beach Towns to Visit

While some Americans enjoy bumping elbows with others at touristy hotspots, others want their vacation to be more relaxing and removed from the chaos. But opting for a lesser known town doesn’t mean you have to give up on the vacation activities you enjoy, like playing mini golf or shopping local boutiques.

To identify the most underrated beach towns, we first built a list of beach towns that are not as commonly known. We then collected Google business data for each town and created an underrated score based on the presence and quality of various businesses a person might visit while on vacation.

Topping the list as the number one most underrated beach town is Treasure Island, FL, with a score of 99.69 out of 100. In addition to all 21 business types we scraped for being present in the city, the average rating for these businesses are all above 4 out of 5 stars.

Located on the Gulf of America, Treasure Island is home to the most kayak rental locations and souvenir shops among the the towns ranked, making it the perfect destination for those who enjoy getting active on the water and shopping at local businesses without feeling overcrowded.

Coming in second place is South Kingstown, RI, with an underrated score of 98.80 out of 100. Bordering the Block Island Sound, South Kingstown offers a relaxing coastal feel with the most boat rentals of any town on our ranking.

We remain in the Northeast for our third-place underrated beach town as Scituate, MA, earns a score of 98.41 out of 100. Located about 45 minutes south of Boston, MA, visitors can experience a classic New England beach town without the crowds often found in more popular destinations like Cape Cod.

When breaking down rankings by region, we found that one non-Florida location cracked the top five as Ocean Springs, MS, (97.87) claimed second place for the most underrated beach town on the Gulf Coast, behind Treasure Island, FL. This is followed by Bradenton Beach, FL, (76.33), Englewood Beach, FL, (76.24), and Holmes Beach, FL, (70.17) in third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.

Moving up north, Garden City Beach, SC, ranks first as the most underrated beach town in the Southeast with an underrated score of 85.33 out of 100. The remaining towns in the top five for the region are all located along the North Carolina coast as Surf City, NC, (78.02), Oak Island, NC, (77.90), Carolina Beach, NC, (77.44), and Emerald Isle, NC, (76.48), claim second, third, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.

Traveling even further north to the beach towns of the Northeast, it’s Rye, NH, (91.74) claiming third place for the Northeast behind South Kingstown, RI, and Scituate, MA. Westerly, RI, follows closely behind in fourth place with an underrated score of 91.55, and Greenport, NY, claims fifth place with a score of 90.17 out of 100.

Finally, out on the West Coast, we found Ventura, CA, is the most underrated beach town with a score of 88.70 out of 100. This is followed by Fort Bragg, CA, (75.76) in second place, and Ocean Shores, WA, (64.80), in third place.

Most Underrated Destinations for Families

Not every beach town is built with families in mind. While some destinations offer endless ways to keep kids entertained, others are focused on providing a relaxing vacation for adults. That’s why we wanted to analyze the underrated beach towns to learn which are best for families looking to break away from the crowds this summer.

For this ranking, we narrowed our list of businesses to focus on locations families are likely to visit together on vacation. This includes: bakeries, bike rentals, boat rentals, bowling alleys, ice cream shops, kayak rentals, mini golf, movie theaters, paddleboard rentals, parks, playgrounds, and restaurants. In addition to the presence and quality of experiences, we also wanted to gain insight into the accommodations available.

To do this, we scraped Vrbo rentals for availability between May, June, and July of 2026 for a weeklong stay for a family of four, specifically two adults and two children. We then factored in the availability and average price per night, presence of a pool, and pet-friendly options with the overall business score to create a family-friendly score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best destinations for families.

Leading the way once again is Treasure Island, FL, with a family-friendly score of 99.89 out of 100. Overall, we found for this upcoming summer, Treasure Island is home to the most available rentals for families (6,409). Additionally, this is also the perfect destination for families looking to bring their furry friends with them as Treasure Island also has the highest count of pet-friendly rentals available (1,696).

Up next for underrated beach towns for families is Scituate, MA, (99.36) in second place, followed by South Kingstown, RI, (98.24) in third place. Coming in fourth place is Petoskey, MI, with an underrated score of 97.84 out of 100. Located along Lake Michigan, Petoskey is home to many family-friendly activities including the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, which offers an exciting way to cool off for all ages.

When it comes to accommodations this summer, we discovered Oak Island, NC, is home to the most affordable rentals at an average of $100.50 per night. This is followed by Cape Charles, VA, in second place where rentals are about $103.70 per night.

While some people love the beach, others prefer the ease of pools. For families hoping to avoid sand this summer, Anna Maria Island, FL, has the most available rentals with a pool (2,034). This is followed by four more Florida beach towns as Bradenton Beach, FL, (2,023), Holmes Beach, FL, (1,977), and Treasure Island, FL, (1,292) rank second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Best Beach Towns for Young Adults

For many young adults, the perfect beach getaway doesn’t end when the sun sets. In fact, for many people, nighttime activities, from dancing with friends at a nightclub to sipping on your favorite beer at a brewery, are the most anticipated portion of a vacation. That’s why, as a final portion of our study, we decided to rank these underrated beach towns to learn which is best for the younger crowd.

To do this, we ranked locations based on the presence and quality of bars, breweries/wineries, live music venues, and nightclubs. We then used this to create a young adults score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best spots for younger people.

Topping the list as the best destination for young adults is Westerly, RI, with a score of 98.17 out of 100. With a thriving downtown scene with trendy bars and restaurants, young adults visiting Westerly are sure to find a variety of options to fill both their days and nights while on vacation.

This is followed by Rye, NH, (97.61) in second place and Scituate, MA, (96.17) in third place as the most underrated beach towns for young adults. Ocean Springs, MS, comes in fourth place with a score of 95.93 out of 100. Overall, Ocean Springs is home to the most bars among the cities included in our ranking, making it the perfect spot for friends to grab a drink while visiting.

For those looking to dance the night away, Brigantine, NJ, may be the best underrated beach town. Though it ranks ninth overall for young adults (89.06), Brigantine is home to the most nightclubs and live music venues overall.

Enjoy Your Relaxing Vacation with Solitaire Bliss

Regardless of where you travel this summer, relaxation is a crucial part of enjoying your vacation. Whether you feel the most at ease with the sand between your toes on the beach or with a warm beverage in your hands in the comfort of a new coffee shop, the key is to allow yourself to fully unwind.

At Solitaire Bliss, we pride ourselves on helping even the most stressed out people take a few minutes to themselves to relax. With our selection of free, online games, you can challenge your brain while feeling the worries of the world melt away. So if you find yourself stuck on an overcrowded beach or counting down the minutes at work until your vacation begins, try your hand at a game of Spider Solitaire or FreeCell to put your mind at ease.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to learn which lesser known beach towns across the U.S. are the most underrated. To do this, we collected data related to the presence and quality of various businesses a person might visit while on vacation in a beach town. These businesses include: Bakeries, bars, bike rentals, boat rentals, boutiques, bowling alleys, breweries, coffee shops, fishing charters, gift shops, ice cream shops, kayak rentals, live music venues, mini golf, movie theaters, nightclubs, paddleboard rentals, parks, playgrounds, restaurants, and souvenir shops.

We evaluated each beach town based on both the availability and quality of key local businesses. Cities earned points when a business type was present, with higher scores awarded to those with stronger average customer ratings. More important business categories were weighted more heavily, resulting in a final score that reflects not just how much there is to do but also how good those experiences are. We then took this score and adjusted it on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most underrated beach towns.

In addition to our overall ranking, we also ranked cities based on the presence and quality of bars, breweries/wineries, live music venues, and nightclubs. We then adjusted this score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the best beach towns for young adults. Additionally, we ranked cities based on the presence and quality of various businesses that a family might visit while on vacation.

In addition to the business data, in March 2026 we also scrapped Vrbo rentals for May, June, and July of 2026 for a weeklong stay for four people (two adults, two children) to determine the number of rentals available for families. We also calculated the average price per night of a rental by city, the number of rentals with private pools, and the number of rentals that are pet-friendly. We then calculated an average score for rental, weighting availability and affordability higher. Finally, we calculated an overall family-friendly score by combining the business and rental score, with a higher weight on businesses to represent the availability of activities for families visiting.