Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – (February 24, 2025) –HomeToGo, the leading platform offering a wide array of vacation rentals globally, has recently published its yearly 2025 Beach Index, showcasing the premier 35 beach spots in the United States just in time for the upcoming spring break season.
Cherry Gove Beach shares the number 2 ranking with Kure Beach, N.C.
According to a recent survey by HomeToGo, sunny coastal getaways are a major focus for 66% of American travelers this year. The company examined internal vacation rental prices and search data, along with information on temperature, rainfall, visitor satisfaction, and dining choices, to pinpoint the best beaches that combine budget-friendly lodging, great weather, amenities, and local appeal.
“Spring Break continues to be a highly popular time for beach trips across the United States, and with so many destination options available, we are excited to share our annual Beach Index to help travelers navigate the vacation planning waters,” said Eleanor Moody, HomeToGo Travel Expert and Spokesperson. “Every traveler rides their own wave when it comes to planning the perfect beach getaway, which is why we have enhanced this year’s comprehensive ranking to span seven factors. Whether travelers are after blue-sky breaks, savvy stays, or under-the-radar retreats, we hope this report will help pinpoint ideal trips exactly according to personal preferences.”
To rank each beach, HomeToGo researched the following key indicators, calculating scores based on the findings:
● Hidden Gem Score: The number of searches on HomeToGo between March and April, with fewer searches equaling higher scores.
● Affordability Score: The median nightly price per person for a vacation rental on HomeToGo between March and April, with lower prices equaling higher scores.
● Heat Score: The average temperature in March and April (°F), with higher temperatures equaling higher scores.
● Clear Skies Score: The average days of rain in March and April, with fewer days of rain equaling higher scores.
● Visitor Satisfaction Score: The rating according to visitor reviews via sources such as Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook, with higher ratings equaling higher scores.
● Food & Drink Score: The number of dining establishments within a 15-minute drive, with more places equaling higher scores.
● Local Secret Score: The average distance, in miles, journeyed by travelers to reach each destination, according to search data for vacation rental stays carried out via HomeToGo, with shorter distances earning higher scores, reflecting a location’s status as a regional gem favored by locals.
Here’s a glimpse of what travelers can expect in the top five destinations:
1. Avila Beach, California: Situated in a sheltered cove on California’s Central Coast, Avila Beach is a gem of a destination with golden sand and warmer waters than many nearby beaches. Travelers can kayak and paddleboard, or stroll along sections of the pier extending into the Pacific, offering ocean views and fishing spots.
2. Kure Beach, North Carolina: With wide, sandy shores and a relaxed pace, Kure Beach offers a quieter alternative to North Carolina’s busier coastal towns for vacationers. Beyond the beach, maritime forests and sand dunes create scenic hiking trails, and the area’s calm, residential feel makes it perfect for those looking to unwind by the sea.
2. Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina: A peaceful retreat on the northern tip of the Grand Strand, Cherry Grove Beach is known for its wide, inviting shoreline and the iconic Cherry Grove Pier. Visitors can look forward to the gentle surf that makes it a favorite for families and enjoy the beach’s quiet atmosphere that offers a contrast to the livelier beaches farther south.
4. Saint Joe Beach, Florida: Saint Joe Beach is a laid-back stretch of the Gulf Coast, offering sugar-white sand, shallow waters, and panoramic sunset views. Free from high-rise development, it maintains an open, natural feel, with clear water ideal for swimming, paddleboarding, and spotting dolphins just offshore.
5. Vilano Beach, Florida: Across the water from St. Augustine, Vilano Beach combines a rugged shoreline with sweeping coastal views. Its slightly coarser sand and shifting sandbars make it unique among Florida’s Atlantic beaches. A scenic waterfront offers stunning sunset views over the Matanzas River.
Additional key takeaways from HomeToGo’s 2025 Beach Price Index include:
Discovering the Best Beaches with HomeToGo
● Average Median Price of a Vacation Rental: In 2025, beach-goers can expect to pay an average median nightly price of $121 per person across the featured destinations on the Gulf, East and West Coasts.
● Beach Bargain: Surfside Beach, Texas (11) offers the most wallet-friendly waves boasting a median price of just $66 per night per person.
● Quieter Coastlines: Spring breakers seeking secret shorelines can head to Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts (35), or explore Bal Harbour Beach, Florida (16), and Avila Beach, California (1), each earning a 9.25+ Hidden Gem score out of 10.
Methodology: For the full methodology and more information as to how this guide was created, please visit https://www.hometogo.com/california/beach-vacation/#beach-index-2025-methodology.
*Survey insights are based on research conducted by HomeToGo among a sample of 800 respondents in the United States. To participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 or older. The survey was carried out online between September 3, 2024 – September 5, 2024. Respondents were able to select multiple answers across a number of questions.
About HomeToGo
HomeToGo is the SaaS-enabled marketplace with the world’s largest selection of vacation rentals, listing millions of offers from thousands of trusted partners, including Booking.com, Vrbo and TripAdvisor.
From vacation homes, cabins, beach houses, apartments, condos, house boats, castles, farm stays and everything in between, HomeToGo combines price, destination, dates and amenities to find the perfect accommodation for any trip worldwide.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
