Pensacola Beach, Florida, ranked first among 100 popular U.S. leisure destinations scored on accessibility, according to a new study from Upgraded Points that looked beyond hotel room inventory to measure how well an entire town serves travelers with mobility needs.
Researchers scored beach towns, mountain getaways, resort communities, historic towns, outdoor recreation hubs, and major tourist cities across eight factors covering lodging, dining, recreation, and public amenities. Availability metrics were standardized per 1,000 permanent residents using 2026 population estimates, and each destination received a composite score out of 100. The normalization is worth noting for advisors reading the results, because it rewards small resort towns with modest year-round populations relative to their visitor volume.
“Accessible travel planning takes real research, because truly accessible means looking well beyond lodging,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. “It’s whether an entire town is prepared for a traveler with mobility needs. So we wanted to look at the full picture: where people stay, eat, explore, and everything in between.”
The heaviest weighting, at 3.0 each, went to the median price of accessible Airbnbs for a flexible five-night stay for two guests, the number of accessible Airbnbs, wheelchair-accessible hotels, wheelchair-accessible tours and activities, and wheelchair-accessible trails. Accessible public restrooms and wheelchair-accessible restaurants were weighted at 2.0, and wheelchair-accessible bars at 1.0. Data came from Airbnb, Hotels.com, GetYourGuide, AllTrails, Refuge Restrooms, and Tripadvisor.
Top 10 U.S. Vacation Towns for an Accessible Stay
- Pensacola Beach, Florida — 91.3. The Gulf Coast destination has 64.3 wheelchair-accessible restaurants and 16 accessible public restrooms per 1,000 residents, anchoring the strongest all-around profile in the study.
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee — 89.6. The mountain destination has 42.4 Airbnb listings with step-free access, the highest rate in the study.
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware — 75.5. Rehoboth Beach led more individual factors than any other destination, including 30 accessible hotels and 68.3 wheelchair-accessible restaurants.
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee — 75.3. Pigeon Forge stood out for accessible lodging and activities, with 24 step-free Airbnb listings.
- Cape May, New Jersey — 71.4. The coastal destination posted strong results across dining, public amenities, and activities, led by 16.1 wheelchair-accessible restaurants per 1,000 residents.
- Ogunquit, Maine — 70.5. Ogunquit leads for accessible public restrooms, at 61.9, more than twice the rate of any other top-10 destination.
- Ka’anapali, Hawaii — 66.6. The resort community ranked first for wheelchair-accessible tours and activities, at 5.
- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California — 65.9. Carmel-by-the-Sea stood out for its mix of dining, trails, and public amenities, all led by 20.3 wheelchair-accessible restaurants.
- Leavenworth, Washington — 63.9. Leavenworth had the lowest median five-night Airbnb price in the top 10 for a step-free listing, at $1,463.
- Bar Harbor, Maine — 61.1. Bar Harbor rounds out the top 10 with a balanced accessibility profile across lodging, dining, and public amenities.
Accessible Stay
(Upgraded Points)
Most Airbnb Listings With Step-Free Access (Per 1,000 Residents)
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee: 42.4
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware: 29.2
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: 24
- Ka’anapali, Hawaii: 22.5
- Mackinaw City, Michigan: 13.8
Most Hotels With Accessible Bathrooms and Stair-Free Entrances (Per 1,000 Residents)
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware: 30
- Moab, Utah: 25.1
- Malibu, California: 13.1
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee: 11.4
- Pensacola Beach, Florida: 11.3
Lodging Options
(Upgraded Points)
Rehoboth Beach and Gatlinburg were the only two destinations to appear on both lodging lists. Rehoboth Beach ranked first for qualifying hotels and second for step-free Airbnb listings, while Gatlinburg placed first for Airbnb listings and fourth for hotels.
The rankings measure supply rather than suitability, and no scoring model accounts for every client’s requirements. Advisors booking travelers with mobility needs should still confirm room layouts, entrance conditions, bathroom features, transportation options, and activity requirements directly with each supplier before a deposit goes down.
Check out all cities analyzed by visiting the full study online.
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