-
- Table of contents
- Intro
- Findings
- Top 3 Cities
- Methodology
Intro
Summer is the season of sunshine, self-care, good vibes, and just having fun. But with so many articles about the best U.S. summer city getaways, you’re probably wondering which ones truly capture that feel-good summer vibe this year?
BetMGM Casino has done the research to help Americans pick their 2025 U.S. summer city destinations, where you can stay entertained and feel your best.
BetMGM has analyzed over 15 “feel-good” metrics to keep you entertained, refreshed, and carefree. These feel-good elements include live music events, wellness facilities, swimming pools, opportunities to spend time in nature, and even hanging out with furry four-legged friends.
Of the cities evaluated, BetMGM found these to be the best feel-good summer city destinations in the U.S.:
- Los Angeles, California
- New York City
- Chicago, Illinois
Findings
Sunshine & Temperature
An analysis of sunshine hours and summer temperatures.
Cities with ideal summer temperature:
- San Diego: 69.8°F (21°C)
- Pittsburgh: 71.6°F (22°C)
- Minneapolis: 71.6°F (22°C)
- Los Angeles: 73.4°F (23°C)
- Denver: 73.4°F (23°C)
- Chicago: 73.4°F (23°C)
- New York: 75.2°F (24°C)
*Based on average temperature during summer months (June-August)
You can expect the most summer sunshine from:
- Las Vegas: 1158 total hours
- Phoenix: 1145 total hours
- Los Angeles: 986 total hours
*Based on average hours of sunshine during summer months (June-August)
Outdoor Summer Fun
An analysis of green spaces, beaches, outdoor parks, and nature trails per capita.
Best cities for outdoor summer fun:
- Chicago – A top city for green space
- New York – The best city for outdoor parks
- Pittsburgh – The best city for nature trails
Summer Leisure & Treat
An analysis of live music events (pop, dance, reggae), swimming pools, ice cream stores, outdoor dining, and dog parks per capita.
Best cities for summer leisure & treating yourself:
- Las Vegas – The best city for outdoor dining
- New York – The best city for ice cream access
- Los Angeles – The best city for live “feel good” music events
Active & Healthy Living
An analysis of walking and biking ability, outdoor fitness zones, and wellness facilities per capita.
Best cities for active & healthy living:
- Phoenix – The best city for outdoor fitness zones
- New York – The best city for walking and biking and a top city for wellness facilities
- Miami – Also a top city for wellness facilities
A Closer Look at the Top 3 Cities
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, famous for its gorgeous beaches, Hollywood stars, and palm trees, is the ultimate destination to take in some feel-good vibes this summer. You only need to glimpse the city to see its beautiful mix of urban city, greenery, and sandy beaches.
Our research discovered that LA offers a gorgeous average summer temperature of 73.4°F (23°C), and with 986 hours of sunshine for the entire summer, you’re bound to feel good exploring this city. This is especially true since around 240 wellness facilities within walking distance of the city center offer yoga and dance classes, Reiki, and more, with plenty of outdoor dining options to choose from afterwards. This city offers plenty of swimming pools for those particularly warm days, and hundreds of parks to explore with an ice cream. It’s no wonder LA ranks first on this list. The city is set up to feel like a California dream.
In this ranking, it was revealed that Los Angeles is the best city for:
- Overall, the ideal summer temperature
- “Feel good” live music events taking place this summer
- Natural beaches
- Wellness facilities
New York City
In second place is the city that never sleeps, New York. America’s most famous city is best known for its iconic landmarks, food, and entertainment. While it’s a huge hotspot for tourists during Christmas, it’s also a fantastic city vacation spot for summer, filled with activities and healthy living.
Our research found that New York offers a fantastic amount of summer-friendly facilities for its incredible population size of over 8 million people. NYC offers over 800 hours of sun during summer, is fantastic for exploring over 304 miles of nature trails, and has 107 ice cream stores within 1 mile of the city’s very center. New York is also the place to be if you need some puppy therapy, since there are 158 dog parks within the city limits where you can interact with the nation’s favorite pet. After a weekend doing all of that, you’re bound to feel happy and lighter. If you’re in the mood for a dance and sing-along, New York is hosting 29 feel-good music events this summer, covering pop, dance, and reggae.
In this ranking, it was revealed that New York is the best city for:
- Ice cream access
- Outdoor parks
- Walking and biking
Chicago, Illinois
Coming in third is Chicago, a city famous for its vibrant culture, transportation, and stunning visuals. Chicago ranks 3rd for offering a mix of everything, from beaches to outdoor gyms, and plenty of sun.
If outdoor dining is your thing, Chicago won’t disappoint. There are over 100 restaurants with outdoor seating within a mile of downtown, all within easy walking distance. For those looking to nourish both body and mind, Chicago is home to more than 120 wellness facilities offering everything from Pilates to yoga and meditation classes.
With a perfect average temperature of 71.6°F (22°C), Chicago’s mix of sun, sand, and soul-soothing activities will leave you feeling good from the inside out.
Closing Thoughts
Summer is undoubtedly the best time of the year to take in the sun and have a fun time. Now, thanks to this study from BetMGM Casino, you know that Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are the best feel-good cities in the U.S. and amazing destinations for all-round summer excitement.
These great summer cities aren’t the only destinations that offer a wealth of fun and excitement. At BetMGM Casino, entertainment awaits with hundreds of online slots, online table games, variety games, and much more. And to turn the thrills up to 12, you can take advantage of one of BetMGM Casino’s many excellent bonuses and promotional offers, including a welcome bonus for new BetMGM Casino players.
Methodology
To determine the most feel good summer cities in the U.S., we evaluated 15 of America’s most popular travel destinations across 4 key categories – Sunshine & Temperature, Outdoor Summer Fun, Summer Leisure & Treat, Active & Healthy Living. These combined categories covered an analysis of over 15 metrics that act as the elements to a “feel good summer city”, including number of outdoor dining facilities, nature trails, ice cream stores, dog parks, swimming pools, average summer temperature, feel good music events and more.
Each category includes several metrics, which were scaled on a 0–1 scale using a MinMaxScaler, where 1 represents the most favorable score for a feel good summer city. For multi-metric dimensions, weighted averages were calculated and re-scaled to ensure comparability. Missing data was imputed using the mean of available cities to maintain consistency.
Min Max Formula:
X_std = (X – X.min(axis=0)) / (X.max(axis=0) – X.min(axis=0))
X_scaled = X_std * (max – min) + min
For certain categories that are strongly influenced by population size, such as music events and wellness facilities, we adjusted the metrics to ensure fair comparisons across regions of different sizes. Instead of using a simple per capita calculation (which can disproportionately favor smaller regions), we divided the raw values by the logarithm of the population. This approach reduces the impact of extreme population differences while still accounting for scale.
Final scores reflect a weighted average across all categories, and cities were rank-ordered to reflect their suitability as a summer city that will make you feel good.
Weights:
1 = less important, 2 = average, 3 = important, 4 = very important
Categories
Sunshine & Temperature (Total weight 8)
Sunshine hours (Weight: 4)
For catching the sun’s UV rays, absorbing vitamin D
Metrics:
- Hours of sunshine during summer
Description:
Analyzed average sunshine hours during June, July, August to provide an average summer temperature score.
Temperature (Weight: 4)
For being the perfect amount of warm, but not too hot
Metrics:
- City temperature during summer
Description:
Analyzed average temperatures during June, July, August to provide an average summer temperature score. Ideal summer temperatures are pre determined between (21-24) degrees. Cities that fell into this category would be favored. Using the “avg summer temp” and its ideal value of 22.5°C. We assign a score from 0 to 1 to each row in the dataset based on how close a value is to a specified “ideal”. We use a Gaussian-like formula (also known as a radial basis function):
score = exp(-((x – ideal)^2) / (2 * sensitivity^2))
This provides a continuous score based on how close each city is to 22.5°C.
Outdoor Summer Fun (Total Weight 12)
Green spaces (Weight: 3)
Opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation
Metrics:
- Green area per capita
Missing for: Portland, Denver, Nashville, Tampa, Pittsburgh, New York, Minneapolis, Newark City
- Assigned average value.
Access to water (Weight: 3)
Access to natural bodies of water, specifically lake and coastal beaches
Metrics:
- Number of ocean or lake beaches per capita (50%)
- Coastal proximity score (1–5 scale) (50%)
Description:
Evaluates access to natural bodies of water, including lakes and oceans. Half the score is based on the number of beaches available, and the other half comes from a qualitative rating of the city’s coastal access (1 = poor access, 5 = directly on the coast). This ensures cities near swimmable, scenic waters are rewarded.
Outdoor parks (Weight: 3)
Opportunities for residents to enjoy nature, exercise, and socialize outdoors during summer months
Metric:
- Number of outdoor parks per capita (log-adjusted).
Nature trails (Weight: 3)
Suitability for scenic outdoor adventures and nature-based recreation
Metric:
- Nature trails (miles) per 10,000 residents.
Summer Leisure & Treat (Total Weight 13)
Live music events (Weight: 2)
Evaluates a city’s vibrant summer music scene for feel-good entertainment
Metrics:
- Number of live music events during June, July, August 2025 per capita (log-adjusted).
- Acquired by the sum of Pop, Dance/electronic and Reggae.
Swimming pools (Weight: 3)
Enjoy aquatic activities during the summer heat
Metrics:
- Amount of swimming pools per 100,000 residents.
Ice cream stores (Weight: 3)
Access to a quintessential summer treat
Metrics:
- Amount of ice cream stores within 2 miles of city center per capita (log-adjusted).
Outdoor dining (Weight: 3)
Access to enjoy meals in the open air, enhancing summer social and culinary experiences
Metrics:
- Amount of outdoor dining restaurants within 1 mile of city center per capita (log-adjusted).
Dog parks (Weight: 2)
Opportunities to interact with dogs
Metrics:
- Amount of dog parks per 100,000 residents.
Activity & Healthy Living (Total Weight 8)
Walking & Biking (Weight: 3)
How easy it is to navigate the city on foot or by bike. High scores indicate pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly infrastructure, promoting healthy, active lifestyles during summer months
Metrics:
- Walk score (50%)
- Bike score (50%)
Outdoor fitness zones (Weight: 2)
Quantifies publicly accessible outdoor gyms and workout spaces. These allow residents to stay fit while enjoying fresh air
Metrics:
- Number of outdoor fitness zones per 10,000 residents.
Wellness facilities (Weight: 3)
Access to facilities focused on physical and mental wellness
- Number of wellness facilities within 2 miles of city center per capita (log-adjusted).
- Including: Yoga, fitness & instruction, meditation centres, Pilates, barre classes, spin classes, Reiki, Ayurveda, sports & leisure, hypnosis & hypnotherapy, dance studios, cardio classes, personal trainers, gyms
Sources:
Data to create this ranking was collected as of May 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census
- Urban Indicators Database, Open Spaces and Green Areas by City
- Weather and Climate, Worldwide weather forecasts and climate information
- Yelp, Ice cream stores & Outdoor dining restaurants
- Trust For Public Land (City Park Facts 2024) – Facilities and Recreational Amenities Data
- Trust for Public Land – City Parks Facts 2024
- Urban Indicators Database, Open Spaces and Green Areas by City
- Ticketmaster, Concert Tickets
- Kaggle – US Cities Urban Connectivity
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Temperature
- Google Maps, Lake and ocean beaches
