“With the return of the hot summer temperatures, we’re excited to be able to offer travelers a helpful guide to America’s most exciting water parks so they can cool off at any budget,” said Caroline Burns, Director of PR and Travel Expert, HomeToGo. “While the index revealed that California, Florida and Texas had the most water parks on this year’s ranking, families can find just as many pulse-pounding water slides, relaxing lazy rivers and family-friendly play areas in destinations across the country.”
Based on the cost of a one-day adult admission ticket, parking, locker rental and HomeToGo’s own data for nearby accommodations, here’s a snapshot of the top rankings from the 2022 Water Park Index:
Most Affordable Water Parks in the U.S. for 2022 – Ranked by Price
Water Park | State | Ticket | Daily Parking Rate |
Locker Rate | Median Nightly Accommodation Per Person | Total Cost Per Day |
1. NRH2O Family Water Park, North Richland Hills | TX | $22.99 | Free | $12.00 | $53.00 | $87.99 |
2. Splash Kingdom Oasis, Shreveport | LA | $24.95 | Free | $10.00 | $55.51 | $90.46 |
3. Buccaneer Bay, Weeki Wachee | FL | $13.00 | Free | $7.00 | $71.02 | $91.02 |
4. Aqua Adventure, Fremont | CA | $23.99 | Free | $5.00 | $67.31 | $96.30 |
5. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford, Cherry Valley | IL | $29.99 | $15.00 | $10.00 | $42.22 | $97.21 |
Additional key takeaways from this year’s Water Park Index include:
- Most Affordable States to Make a Splash: Water parks in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California and Illinois climb to the affordable peak of this year’s ranking.
- Best States for Water Park Enthusiasts: California reigns supreme with the most water parks on this year's ranking (11), followed by Texas (10) and Florida (9). The average total cost per day among the featured water parks in California is $138.06, compared to $132.96 in Texas and $139.16 in Florida.
- Record-Breaking Water Parks: This year's index is filled with tons of world-renowned parks for their rides and attractions, including North America's largest park: Noah's Ark Water Park, WI (#45 in HomeToGo's ranking), and the brand new DreamWorks Water Park, NJ (#32) which features America's tallest waterslide and the world's biggest indoor wave pool.
- Average Entry Prices: This year’s average entry cost is $39.82. The water parks with the cheapest entry costs are Buccaneer Bay and Sun-N-Fun Lagoon in Florida, which both cost $13 per adult.
