America's Most Family-Friendly Vacation Destinations

Vacation rental platform KOALA recently analyzed dozens of top destinations across the country, looking at a variety of key factors for family friendliness, including kid-friendly attractions, nature and parks, child-friendly restaurants, crime rates, the average accommodation price per night, average annual temperature and average rainfall to determine the most family-friendly vacation destinations in the United States. Here are the 10 places that fare the best in 2021.

The famed Massachusetts summer destination of Nantucket rounds out the top 10 with an overall score of 6.83 out of 10 for family friendliness. Of the destinations that KOALA analyzed, only Las Vegas and Nashville boast a lower average accommodation price per night ($83) based on the average cost for a one-night hotel stay sourced from KOALA's own internal data.

Ninety minutes northwest of Denver, Estes Park provides visiting families with easy access to Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. More than one-third of the town's attractions (34 percent) are listed as being "good for kids," according to TripAdvisor and three-quarters of restaurants (75 percent) are considered "child-friendly." It also boasts one of the lowest crime rates at 10.6 offenses per 1,000 people and relatively affordable accommodations at $185 per night on average.

Home to the world's largest living history museum in Colonial Williamsburg, the namesake city in Virginia is an easy call for families in search of kid-friendly attractions (24.4 percent) and affordable accommodations ($122 per night on average). Williamsburg's overall score of 6.92 out of 10 for family friendliness is good enough for eighth-best nationwide.

Another Colorado city to feature in the top 10 for families this year, Durango offers plenty of fun things to do for visitors of all ages, from the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to ziplining adventures. Other highlights here include the interactive Powerhouse Science Center and MakerLab where guests both young and old can unleash their creativity.

Located in South Carolina Lowcountry, the award-winning Hilton Head Island offers visitors ideal weather (average annual temperature of 67.4 degrees) and affordable accommodations ($170 per night on average) as well as a plethora of family-friendly activities, including beaches, kayaking, tubing, skiff adventures, guided tours, scenic bike rides and much more.

Tied for fourth with an overall score of 7.02 out of 10 for family friendliness, Lake Tahoe features the second-highest percentage of attractions listed as "nature and parks" (21 percent) of the top 10 most family friendly U.S. destinations. Plus, more than one in five attractions in Lake Tahoe are considered "good for kids" (22.4 percent) and the average accommodation cost ($154 per night) is nearly half that of the top-ranked destination.

Arizona's Red Rock Country is a can't-miss destination for families, based on KOALA's research. Tying Lake Tahoe for fourth for overall family friendliness, Sedona experiences a little more than 17 inches of rainfall annually, relatively low crime rates (11 offenses per 1,000 people) and six out of every 10 restaurants are considered "child-friendly," according to TripAdvisor. Additionally, 13.6 percent of attractions are listed as "nature and parks."

Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida earns impressive marks when it comes to weather (average annual temperature of 74.6 degrees) and crime (6.4 offenses per 1,000 people) and nearly 70 percent of the destination's restaurants are family-friendly. Families can also choose from plenty of exciting attractions, including Sanibel's beautiful beaches boasting inviting sand and surf.

On the Hawaiian island of Maui, Wailea scores an impressive 8.27 out of 10 for family friendliness. The destination is home to numerous luxe beachfront resorts and is home to more attractions listed as "nature and parks" (27.4 percent) than any other destination in the top 10, based on KOALA's research. More than 37 percent of Wailea's attractions are considered "good for kids" and over 80 percent of restaurants have been deemed "child-friendly."

With a whopping 83.3 percent of attractions considered "good for kids" and 84.2 percent of local restaurants listed as "child-friendly" on TripAdvisor, Honolulu's Waikiki neighborhood is the most family-friendly vacation destination for 2021. It earns an overall score of 8.38 out of 10 for family friendliness. KOALA points out that the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Zoo are just two of the many things to see and do for families here.