Chapter 3: A Look at U.S. Hotel Rates

Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Head North or Search the South for Value

Travelers looking to find the cheapest retreats and maybe some southern comfort should check out several Dixie favorites, including cities in Georgia and Alabama, which make up three out of the five least expensive destinations in the U.S. What’s more, another southern standout, Texas, fills out the roster as the state with the most cities on the “cheap list.”

Nevertheless, for the best deal of all, bargain hunters must head all the way north to Glendive, MT, a charming town boasting a population of 4,935, where a full night’s stay will only cost $65 a night. Tucked between the Yellowstone River and one of America’s most impressive badlands areas, Glendive’s main attraction is Makoshika State Park, a virtual warehouse of rock formations, prehistoric fossils, mineral specimens and dinosaur bones.

The Least Expensive U. S. Cities (DMA)

Rank	City	State	2010	2011	YoY ADR
1	Glendive	MT	$64	$65	+2%
2	Macon	GA	$72	$73	+1%
3	Albany	GA	$76	$74	-2%
4	Dothan	AL	$75	$76	+2%
5	Ottumwa	MO	$74	$77	+3%
6	Lima	OH	$75	$77	+4%
7	Montgomery	AL	$77	$79	+2%
8	Bakersfield	CA	$82	$79	-4%
9	Parkersburg	WV	$79	$79	0%
10	Joplin	KS	$77	$79	+3%
11	Wichita	KS	$80	$80	0%
12	San Angelo	TX	$88	$80	-9%
13	Jonesboro	AR	$77	$81	+6%
14	Dayton	OH	$83	$81	-2%
15	Jackson	TN	$78	$81	+4%
16	Lafayette	LA	$84	$81	-3%
17	Sioux City	SD	$84	$82	-2%
18	Amarillo	TX	$81	$82	+1%
19	Rockford	IL	$81	$82	+1%
20	Zanesville	OH	$78	$82	+6%
21	Knoxville	TN	$79	$83	+4%
22	Wichita Falls	TX	$84	$83	-2%
23	Alpena	MI	$81	$83	+2%
24	Beaumont	TX	$85	$83	-2%
25	Huntsville	WY	$79	$83	+5%
26	Bowling Green	KY	$80	$84	+5%
27	Mankato	MN	$82	$84	+3%
28	Ft. Smith	AR	$84	$84	+1%
29	Tulsa	OK	$90	$84	-6%
30	El Paso	TX	$86	$84	-2%
31	Yuma	AZ	$82	$84	+3%
32	Monroe	LA	$81	$84	+5%
33	Terre Haute	IN	$85	$84	-1%
34	Marquette	MI	$84	$85	0%
35	Colorado Springs	CO	$82	$85	+3%
36	Tyler	TX	$90	$85	-6%
37	Jackson	MS	$82	$85	+4%
38	Wausau	WI	$85	$85	-1%
39	Hattiesburg	MS	$86	$85	-2%
40	Boise	ID	$78	$85	+9%
41	Sherman	OK	$88	$85	-4%
42	Toledo	OH	$84	$85	+2%
43	Columbia	SC	$85	$86	+1%
44	Paducah	KY	$84	$86	+2%
45	Topeka	KS	$84	$86	+1%
46	Columbia - Jefferson City	MO	$83	$86	+3%
47	Springfield	MO	$84	$86	+2%
48	Greensboro	NC	$85	$86	0%
49	Lincoln	NE	$81	$86	+6%
50	Evansville	IN	$86	$86	0%