Which cities offer the best options for booking a relaxing spa day?
With the global wellness tourism industry expected to hit a record $1 trillion in 2024, Pool Gnome ranked 2024’s Best Cities for Spa Lovers.
We compared nearly 500 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 3 categories. We looked at the number of spas, average consumer ratings, and local demand, among 6 total metrics.
Pamper yourself with help from our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
Contents
Rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
Note: Is your favorite wellness destination missing from our ranking? See the “Notes” in our methodology.
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 cities.
Number of Spas: 370 | Rank: 1
Number of Top-Rated Spas: 80 | Rank: 2
Share of Top-Rated Spas (4.5+ Stars): 21.62% | Rank: 238
Share of Spas Offering a Deal: 12.16% | Rank: 19
Average Monthly Google Searches for Spas Over Past Year: 138,300 | Rank: 1
Photo Credit: Roberto Vivancos / Pexels / Pexels License
Number of Spas: 310 | Rank: 2
Number of Top-Rated Spas: 97 | Rank: 1
Share of Top-Rated Spas (4.5+ Stars): 31.29% | Rank: 112
Share of Spas Offering a Deal: 1.94% | Rank: 132
Average Monthly Google Searches for Spas Over Past Year: 40,100 | Rank: 2
Photo Credit: Roberto Nickson / Pexels / Pexels License
Number of Spas: 263 | Rank: 3
Number of Top-Rated Spas: 57 | Rank: 5
Share of Top-Rated Spas (4.5+ Stars): 21.67% | Rank: 237
Share of Spas Offering a Deal: 3.8% | Rank: 97
Average Monthly Google Searches for Spas Over Past Year: 27,400 | Rank: 4
Photo Credit: CY / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Number of Spas: 249 | Rank: 4
Number of Top-Rated Spas: 68 | Rank: 4
Share of Top-Rated Spas (4.5+ Stars): 27.31% | Rank: 151
Share of Spas Offering a Deal: 2.81% | Rank: 118
Average Monthly Google Searches for Spas Over Past Year: 14,000 | Rank: 12
Photo Credit: Solvej Nielsen / Pexels / Pexels License
Number of Spas: 199 | Rank: 5
Number of Top-Rated Spas: 76 | Rank: 3
Share of Top-Rated Spas (4.5+ Stars): 38.19% | Rank: 61
Share of Spas Offering a Deal: 6.53% | Rank: 57
Average Monthly Google Searches for Spas Over Past Year: 15,400 | Rank: 8
Photo Credit: Lucas Fonseca / Pexels / Pexels License
The Upshot
Big, glamorous cities — such as New York (No. 1), Los Angeles (No. 2), and Houston (No. 3) — landed at the top of our ranking with abundant high-quality spas, and plenty of residents seeking a zen moment.
California dominated with 70 cities relaxing in the top half of our ranking. The bountiful spas in Los Angeles, San Diego (No. 5), and Sacramento (No. 23) stand out with average consumer ratings above 4 stars. Smaller cities like Santa Maria (No. 49), Fairfield (No. 72), and Bellflower (No. 86) might have fewer spas to choose from, but their average ratings are above 4.5.
Sunny Southern cities impress with plenty of spas and high local Demand. 25 Florida, 18 Texas, and 11 North Carolina cities finished in the top half of our ranking, with many offering numerous top-rated spas.
Connecticut cities distinctly lack access to spa treatments, with only one city — Danbury (No. 242) — scoring in the better half of our ranking. With few top-rated spas, Hartford (No. 308), New Haven (No. 368), Bridgeport (No. 446), and Stamford (No. 472) likely disappoint locals with higher-than-average Demand for a spa day.
Behind the Ranking
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Spa Lovers. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 3 categories: Access, Quality, and Demand. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table. We eliminated 6 cities lacking sufficient data in a single category, resulting in a final sample size of 494 cities.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 494).
Notes:
- The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 494 due to ties.
- We considered only the 500 biggest (most populated) U.S. cities, thereby excluding smaller towns with famous spas and wellness centers, such as:
- Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Kahului, Hawaii
- Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
- Sedona, Arizona
- Taos, New Mexico
Sources: Google Ads and Yelp
Final Thoughts
The wellness tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing travel sectors, with anticipated growth by 16.6% per year until 2027. When it comes to wellness travel, there are contemporary, high-tech treatments as well as more traditional — or even rugged — spa experiences.
Tourists can opt for health-centered spa retreats featuring bespoke “biohacking” methods, such as infrared saunas, cryotherapy chambers, and AI-powered smart beds. Or, let nature nurture you at spa resorts featuring equine therapy, rewilding, and forest bathing.
You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to unwind. Bring a splash of luxury to your backyard with help from our tips below.
- Install an above-ground or in-ground pool.
- Heat things up with a hot tub.
- Avoid the smell of chlorine with a saltwater pool.
- Upgrade your splash zone with a pool house.
- Heat your pool with solar panels to expand your swim season.
- Splurge on an infinity pool to make the most of your property’s views.
- Add splashes of color with landscaping around your in-ground or above-ground pool.
Planning to install a pool or hot tub? Need help maintaining the one you already own? Let Pool Gnome connect you with local pool and spa professionals to help with all your installation, repair, and maintenance needs.
Pool Gnome is part of the Home Gnome family of home services sites.
Media Resources
Quotes from Pool Gnome Editor-in-Chief Jeff Herman:
- Scottsdale, Arizona (No. 12), calls itself America’s “spa capital,” with the 6th-highest number of top-rated spas. It tied with Tampa, Florida (No. 6), on that metric — behind 5 cities with larger populations like Los Angeles (No. 2), New York (No. 1), and Houston (No. 3).
- Some cities — like Philadelphia (No. 25), Albuquerque (No. 60), and Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 58) — have abundant spas but fall behind in Quality with lower-than-average consumer ratings.
- Despite limited Access to spas, Jersey City (No. 346) and Newark (No. 398) in New Jersey, as well as Atlanta suburbs Sandy Springs (No. 206) and Johns Creek (No. 191) in Georgia scored among the top 100 cities with the highest Demand for spas.
- Even with low Demand, Ventura, California (No. 34), finished among the top 30 cities with the highest number of top-rated spas.
Main Photo Credit: John Tekeridis / Pexels / Pexels License
