ORLANDO, Fla. — ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando has been ranked the second happiest family vacation destination in the United States, according to a new study that evaluated major cities based on safety, traffic, weather, family attractions and access to outdoor spaces.
The report, released by luxury vacation rental company Wander, gave Orlando a happiness score of 9.14 out of 10, placing it just behind San Diego, California, which earned the top spot with a score of 9.18.
Florida dominated the upper portion of the rankings, with Miami finishing third and Tampa coming in fifth, giving the state three cities in the national top 10.
Researchers analyzed several factors tied to family travel satisfaction, including traffic congestion, noise pollution, walkability, safety scores, child-friendly attractions, weather, green space and scenic access.
According to the study, Orlando stood out for combining major family attractions with relatively manageable traffic compared with other large tourist destinations.
The city recorded 40.91 child-friendly attractions per 100,000 people, one of the highest totals in the study. Researchers also pointed to Orlando’s average annual temperature of 71.8 degrees and a safety score of 50.8 as reasons it ranked near the top nationally.
Traffic delays in Orlando were measured at 27.9%, which the report said was lower than many larger metro areas included in the ranking.
The study noted that Orlando’s tourism appeal extends beyond its best-known theme parks, citing destinations such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort as anchors for family travel while also highlighting local spots such as Lake Eola Park and Harry P. Leu Gardens for visitors looking beyond the major parks.
Miami ranked third overall with a score of 9.06, helped by the highest number of child-friendly attractions in the study at 48.87 per 100,000 residents. Tampa ranked fifth with a score of 8.59 and was noted for warm weather and relatively low noise pollution compared with other top destinations.
San Diego led the rankings in part because of its large amount of parkland, moderate traffic and strong safety score.
The full top 10 list included San Diego, Orlando, Miami, San Francisco, Tampa, Boston, Austin, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Wander said all data used in the study was current as of February 2026 and was gathered from sources including Tripadvisor, TomTom, Walk Score and Numbeo.
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