By Jim Carchidi
March 17, 2026
Orlando is known as The City Beautiful and several national rankings reflect its appeal to residents, tourists, and businesses. But some results can be a reason for corrections rather than congratulations.
How we did
Orlando has enjoyed its share of high scores in studies conducted each year by personal financial service website, WalletHub. Evaluations are based on a list of metrics, graded on a 100-point scale and weighted to reflect their relative importance to the study.
The following are a selection of noteworthy Orlando rankings. The full results can be accessed by clicking the link in each title.
Best Summer Travel Destinations, No. 1 out of 100 cities: No big surprises here. The survey ranked 100 of the largest metro areas, tallying individual scores in categories ranging from scenic quality to convenience of travel, and the variety of attractions and activities. Orlando was grouped with Kissimmee and Sanford, coming in 24th in travel costs and hassles, 10th in local costs, and first in activities.
Results also found Orlando had the lowest nightly rate for a three-star hotel room; $42.
Best & Worst Places to Retire, No. 1 out of 182 cities: WalletHub metrics ranged from the most retirement-friendly cost of living to healthcare. Miami and Tampa held the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Orlando’s lack of taxes, including estate, inheritance, and income taxes, help offset the cost of living. It’s also the ninth-cheapest city for homemaker services, the 20th-cheapest for adult day health care, and ranked seventh for best geriatric hospitals. Orlando also ranks third in adult recreation for its number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries, and adult volunteer activities.
Most Fun Cities in America, No. 2 out of 182 cities: The goal of this survey was to find cities offering a variety of affordable entertainment possibilities for all tastes. Orlando came in below Las Vegas and ahead of third-place Miami.
Individual metric scores place Orlando third in overall entertainment and recreation and third in nightlife. The number of local stadiums, fitness centers, performing arts theaters, arcades, and lounges per capita also played a role in the ranking.
Best Foodie Cities in America, No. 5 out of 182 cities: Orlando topped this survey in 2023 but Miami took first place this time with Tampa placing seventh. Cities were evaluated for food quality and budget-friendly options that appeal to home cooks and restaurant fans. The cost of groceries and the affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants, festivals, and food trucks were among the indicators.
Orlando was in a five-way tie for first in three categories: most restaurants per capita, most gourmet food stores per capita, and most ice cream shops per capita.
Best & Worst Cities for First-Time Home Buyers, No. 8 out of 300 cities: The main survey ranked all U.S. cities regardless of size. Location was only one of the factors determining this ranking. Market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life were also considered, along with cost of living, real-estate taxes and the property-crime rate. Orlando scored 159th in affordability and seventh in quality of life.
However, when ranking U.S. cities by size, Orlando placed second in the large city category with Tampa in first place, Jacksonville coming in seventh and Miami in the 24th spot.
Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America, No. 27 out of 182 cities: The survey compared metrics that include health care, food, and fitness. Orlando's highest ranking was in the food metric, with a score of 24. Factors ranged from the number of healthy restaurants per capita to the number of people with an interest in healthy eating. Orlando ranked 80th in the health care metric, which includes mental and physical health, the number of insured residents, and the number of residents who visited a doctor in the previous year.
Driving concerns
Best & Worst Cities to Drive In, No. 26 out of 100 cities: Metrics include average gas prices, the annual number of hours spent in traffic congestion, and auto-repair shops per capita. WalletHub ranked Orlando 53rd in cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance and 86th in safety, but ranked Orlando fourth in traffic infrastructure and second in access to vehicles and maintenance.
Aside from its place in WalletHub’s rankings, Orlando lost ground in Consumer Affairs’ list of 50 Cities with the Worst Traffic (the number one spot being the worst). Orlando came in 12th in 2025 after coming in 14th in 2024. The average length of time drivers spent in traffic congestion over a five-day work week totaled three hours and 45 minutes, marking a 7.7% increase from Orlando’s 2024 average. However, the number of fatal car crashes per 100,000 people dropped 12.4% to 13.30.
The Orlando-Daytona Beach area also had the dubious honor of taking the top spot in Pep Boys’ Top 30 Worst Roads in America. The range of issues include extreme heat-softened asphalt and frequent storm-related road wear.
Driving improvements
Regional traffic infrastructure is in the midst of an overhaul with the progress of State Road 516. The 4.4-mile toll road will improve travel between Orange and Lake counties, connecting S.R. 429 and U.S. 27. A half-mile segment will also include technology to wirelessly charge electric vehicles while driving at highway speeds.
Florida’s Turnpike also opened its expanded segment in Minneola, three years ahead of schedule. The effort is part of a $10 billion statewide project, including a $233 million investment in this expansion.
And Flemings Road in Horizon West is officially moving toward its planned connection to Sawgrass Bay Blvd. in Clermont. The direct link between Orange and Lake counties will ease pressure on US-27 and US-192.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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