If it seemed like the pandemic produced a lot more RVs around your neighborhood, you’re probably right. One of them may even be yours.
Van life was already trending before COVID and has been buoyed by the need for social distancing and the work-from-anywhere possibilities. As travel-hungry adventurers continue to look for ways to escape and see the great outdoors, RV sales are on the rise.
The RV Industry Association (RVIA) forecasts RV wholesale shipments at around 591,100 units by the end of 2022 which is close to the 600,240 shipped in 2021, the industry’s best year on record. Total RV shipments in March 2022 were 64,454, up 18.7 percent over March 2021 and a 69 percent increase over the 38,015 shipped in March 2019.
Although there’s no available data on how many people are traveling in their RVs, Mercedes-Benz U.S. van sales shot up 22.5 percent in 2020, according to USA Today.
So, yes, if it seems like there’s more RVs on the highway it is likely there is: 11.2 million U.S. households own an RV, according to RVIA. And contrary to popular belief, they’re not just retired folks: More than half are under 54 years old. Those in the 18- to 34-year-old age range now make up 22 percent of the market.
So if you’re going to jump on the camper bandwagon to head out on the open road where are the best places to live the RV life? To determine the best RV destinations in the U.S., number crunchers at StorageCafe, an online platform that provides storage unit listings, analyzed data from camping directory CampgroundViews about numbers of campsites, their costs, and amenities such as water, sewer, and electricity hookups, swimming pools, Wi-Fi, cable TV, ‘pull-thru’-type sites (for convenience when parking), and pet policies. They also used a variety of sources to find local air quality, internet speeds, grocery prices, storage options, and the number of nearby retail outlets.
Here are 16 of the best places in the U.S. for RV campers.
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Median air quality index: 43=good
Average internet speed: 92 mbps
Grocery cost: 98.2 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 22.9 (the most on this list)
Pigeon Forge is located near Gatlinburg and Sevierville and is about five miles from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. A popular year-round family-friendly vacation destination, Pigeon Forge is filled with fun activities. There’s plenty of shopping here and a Dolly Parton theme park.
Plan your trip: The Ultimate Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Grants Pass, Oregon
Median air quality index: 23=good
Average internet speed: 113 mbps
Grocery cost: 100.3 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 4
Grants Pass sits on Oregon’s Rogue River in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. It’s a good spot for rafting and enjoying the lush outdoors. It’s central to places like the historic Gold Rush town of Jacksonville, Applegate Valley Wine Tour near Medford, Crater Lake National Park, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.
Rockport-Fulton, Texas
Median air quality index: 44=good
Average internet speed: 99 mbps
Grocery cost: 98.4 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2.7
Rockport-Fulton has been a favorite coastal hideaway and snowbird roost for many years. You’ll find a sandy beach, a birder’s paradise, a thriving arts community, unique shopping, delectable seafood, unlimited outdoor recreation, historical sites, and great fishing.
Plan your trip: Discover Why Rockport is the Charm of the Texas Coast
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Median air quality index: 37=good
Average internet speed: 222 mbps
Grocery cost: 100.0 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 6.1
Whether you’re looking for fun and adventure or lazy days on the beach, you can do it all in Gulf Shores and nearby Orange Beach. Dolphin watching, ocean fishing, and golf are popular activities. Discover history and travel back in time when cannons protected the waterways and explore the nearly 200-year-old Fort Morgan. Adjacent to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach is Gulf State Park with 6,000 acres spanning the sugar-white sands of the Gulf Coast and is home to nine unique ecosystems. The Gulf State Park Campground offers 496 full hook-up RV campsites.
Plan your trip: Experience the Alabama Gulf Coast along the Coastal Connection Scenic Byway
Houston, Texas
Median air quality index: 52=moderate
Average internet speed: 459 mbps
Grocery cost: 98.1 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 3
Don’t pass up the big city on your road trip. America’s fourth-largest city is a cosmopolitan destination filled with world-class dining, arts, entertainment, shopping, and outdoor recreation. Take a stroll through the historic Heights, spend the day exploring the Museum District, or head down to Space Center Houston and Galveston.
Plan your trip: I Still Dream of Galveston
Tucson, Arizona
Median air quality index: 56=moderate
Average internet speed: 482 mbps
Grocery cost: 95.5 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 3.1
Tucson is an Arizona destination worth repeat visits with history, culture, and outdoor activities galore. View a great variety of plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert at Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. A desert oasis, Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is a hiker’s paradise. The West is full of beautiful national parks but one of the most iconic symbols of the Old West is the saguaro cactus—and Saguaro National Park and Catalina State Park are full of them.
Plan your trip: Why Tucson Is Your Next Great Outdoor Adventure
Yuma, Arizona
Median air quality index: 46=good
Average internet speed: 298 mbps
Grocery cost: 94.6 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2.8
In the far west of the state on the Colorado River near the California and Mexico borders, Yuma has one of the nation’s largest mass of inland sand dunes enjoyed by ATVers. Immerse yourself in rich culture and heritage rooted in centuries of history. Popular with snowbirds, Yuma is known as the Winter Lettuce Capital and it holds a Guinness World Record as the “Sunniest City in the World.” Just over the border in Mexico is Los Algodones, a popular spot for medical tourism. Check out the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, a Wild West–era prison (Yuma High’s unusual mascot is the Criminals).
Plan your trip: Of Yuman Interest: Top 7 Attractions In and Around Yuma
San Antonio, Texas
Median air quality index: 48=good
Average internet speed: 382 mbps
Grocery cost: 91.4 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2.7
Remember the Alamo? This is where you go to see it. From the San Jose Mission to the Alamo, this city is known for its fabulous, historic architecture. With a mix of cultures, Mexican and Tex-Mex food is more authentic than found almost anywhere else in the country. There is a lot to do in San Antonio from visiting the missions to the Alamo and touring the River Walk. You can also spend days enjoying family-fun destinations like SeaWorld and Six Flags or join a ghost and vampire tour. There is no lack of diversions to explore in this city and beyond.
Plan your trip: Wander the (San Antonio) River’s winding Path and Experience the Spirit of San Antonio
Foley, Alabama
Median air quality index: 37=good
Average internet speed: 22 mbps
Grocery cost: 96.2 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 7.1
Just inland from Gulf Shores, Foley offers great value and plenty of shopping, outdoor activities, and RV resorts nearby.
Plan your trip: Where the Rivers Meet the Sea: Mobile-Tensaw River Delta and Meaher State Park
Mission, Texas
Median air quality index: 44=good
Average internet speed: 590 mbps
Grocery cost: 90.6 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2 (the fewest of this list)
Located at the southern tip of Texas, the Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular convergences of birds on earth. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, just south of Mission, is not only Texas’ southernmost state park but since October 2005, the headquarters of the World Birding Center. The 760-acre park draws visitors from as far away as Europe and Japan hoping to spot some of the more than 325 species of birds and over 250 species of butterflies.
Plan your trip: Rio Grande Valley: Birds, Birds, and More Birds
Redding, California
Median air quality index: 46=good
Average internet speed: 97 mbps
Grocery cost: 99.9 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 4
With mountains all around, miles of hiking and biking trails, a river running through it and national parks nearby, Redding is an outdoor paradise for all ages. Cradled by Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen, Redding has 300+ sunny days per year. Redding is also home to the famous Sundial Bridge, world-class fishing, and 200 miles of hiking and biking trails for all abilities. Head out on a day-trip to see the bubbling mud pots and boiling lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The area’s wealth of outdoor activities include Turtle Bay Exploration Park with the renown Sundial Bridge, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta Lake, and Lake Shasta Caverns.
Plan your trip: Redding For an Outdoor Adventure
Austin, Texas
Median air quality index: 43=good
Average internet speed: 459 mbps
Grocery cost: 96.7 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 3.3
Austin was recently voted the No. 1 place to live in America for the third year in a row— based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life. It was named the fastest growing large city in the U.S. It was chosen among the top 15 cities in the United States to visit. Austin features centrally located Lady Bird Lake, named after Texan and former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird Lake is part of the Colorado River and is a popular place to canoe, kayak, and use stand-up paddleboards. Next to the lake are the 10-mile Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail.
Plan your trip: Grab Some Fresh Air and Commune with Nature at McKinney Falls State Park
Benson, Arizona
Median air quality index: 47=good
Average internet speed: 41 mbps
Grocery cost: 94.4 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 3.1
The areas surrounding Benson offer numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. Coronado National Forest and the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area provide areas for hiking, camping, and picnicking. Kartchner Caverns State Park provides an unforgettable way to get in touch with the earth—literally. Located on State Route 90 in the Whetstone Mountains these unique caverns are the most pristine in the U. S. Tombstone invites visitors to walk in the footsteps of the West’s most famous outlaws and good guys, the Clantons and the Earps
Plan your trip: All Aboard & Bound For Benson
Casa Grande, Arizona
Median air quality index: 64=moderate
Average internet speed: 71 mbps
Grocery cost: 95.7 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2.5
For a change of pace, Casa Grande offers a relaxing respite from the hustle-and-bustle, halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. Casa Grande draws golfers year-round with excellent play at a variety of area courses. Stroll through historic downtown Casa Grande, one of Arizona’s Main Street communities with more than 40 buildings in national and local historic registers. Hike, bike, and even take a farm or dairy tour. At the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, you’ll find the Ancient Sonoran Desert People’s farming community including the preserved “Great House,” or “Casa Grande.”
Plan your trip: The Mystique of the Casa Grande Ruins
Mesa, Arizona
Median air quality index: 97=moderate
Average internet speed: 481 mbps
Grocery cost: 97.2 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 2.5
Soak up the sun in Arizona’s third-largest city. The neighboring farms and Agritourism attractions in and around Mesa provide a bounty of seasonal goods for visitors to enjoy. Mesa is neighbors to the Tonto National Forest and visitors to this desert oasis take advantage of being close to one of the nation’s largest playgrounds. Tonto is the fifth largest forest in the United States and one of the most-visited forests in the country. There are three lakes and two rivers in Mesa that allow for desert boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, and water skiing. There are treasures to be found all over Mesa. What treasures you find just depends on where you look.
Plan your trip: Amazing Places to Discover in Phoenix’s East Valley
Okeechobee, Florida
Median air quality index: 38=good
Average internet speed: 319 mbps
Grocery cost: 102.0 percent of U.S. average
Retail outlets per 1,000 residents: 3.3
Located along the northern rim of Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s “inland sea,” the city of Okeechobee offers visitors a relaxing time. Choose from a variety of RV parks and campgrounds just minutes from the beauty of Lake Okeechobee, varied attractions, and annual events. Known as the “Speckled Perch Capital of the World,” Okeechobee holds an annual event in honor of this title—the Speckled Perch Festival held in March. The town provides a convenient access point to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. And the lake and its shores, of course, offer boating, freshwater fishing, hiking, and biking.
Plan your trip: Myakka River State Park: Place of Abundance Offering Varied Experiences
Worth Pondering…
For all of us have our loved places; all of us have laid claim to parts of the earth; and all of us, whether we know it or not, are in some measure the products of our sense of place.
—Alan Gussow