Markets 
It’s time to yolo.
A California college town in Yolo County claimed the number two spot for cities flying under the radar. According to a report from Kayak, nearly 85% of jet-setters prefer lesser-known destinations over major hubs.
Plus, quick getaways — “nanocations” — are seeing a massive uptick. Data from the travel search site found that 63% of vacationers are embracing quicker, more spontaneous tips. Especially ones that don’t require weeks of planning.
Cheap eats, great nightlife and walkable spots — it’s easy to see why college towns check every box.
According to the report, Davis in Yolo County, California secured the number two spot of the most underrated college towns.
Home to UC Davis, the laidback city celebrates bike culture and the classic California living experience students all over the world flock to the Golden State for.
On the outskirts of Sacramento, Davis is known for its fruitful farmers markets and a “sustainability-first” mindset.
The NorCal gem has thousands of bike paths — and it even outnumbers cars in some areas. The area actually was the first city in the US to install official bike lanes back in 1967.
The data from Kayak shows the average price of a hotel is just $148 per night, crushing the number 10 spot of State College, Pennsylvania — which comes in at a whopping $282 per night.
The number one college enclave is the South Carolina gem, Clemson, located in Pickens and Anderson counties, the sun-soaked spot lies right on Lake Hartwell in downtown.
While another West Coast hub, Eugene, Oregon — home to the University of Oregon, also made the grade, landing at No. 8 on the coveted list.
Football is at the heart of this college town will students repping their Clemson Tigers well beyond school days. In fact, Clemson popular game-day tradition — known as running down The Hill — sees tons of players sprinting down the grassy slope as the crowd goes wild.
The ritual was even named “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football” by ESPN.
Kayak data revealed that the average price for a hotel is $228 per night and a bit steeper than Davis. However, overall living costs can be 15% to 20% cheaper than The Bear State, according to data.
Some other noticeable college towns to check out on the list:
- West Lafayette, Indiana
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Oxford, Mississippi
- Boone, North Carolina
- Athens, Georgia
- Eugene, Oregon
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- State College, Pennsylvania
The data from Kayak was compiled from its “What the Future Report 2026” which does a deep dive of trends from social media sites like TikTok. Data for hotel prices were based on thorough searches between October 1 2024 through March 13, 2026, for travel between January 1, 2026 through December 31.
Just note that all costs for average hotel prices are for one night in a double room, according to Kayak.
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