‘Secret-spot charm?’ This NC beach ranks among the best in the US
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- Indian Beach ranks No. 10 on HomeToGo’s budget-friendly list of the best U.S. beaches.
- The town scored high for visitor satisfaction but didn’t fare as well for nightly costs.
- Several North Carolina beaches made it into the top 100.
A North Carolina beach town calls itself a “hidden gem” — and now, it’s surged into the spotlight.
Indian Beach ranks No. 10 on a list of the nation’s best budget-friendly spots for sun and surf, according to the vacation rental website HomeToGo.
The coastal destination received a nod after HomeToGo studied its platform, focusing on 100 places across the country where nightly stays typically cost under $200 per person. Using data from the federal government, travel review websites and other sources, it scored locations across five categories: affordability, hidden gem, local secret, temperature and visitor satisfaction.
“To help travel planners discover the perfect mix of savings, sunshine, and secret-spot charm, HomeToGo combined exclusive internal price and search data with insights on temperatures and visitor satisfaction, revealing the best beach destinations across the U.S. for spring and summer getaways,” the website wrote in a March 12 news release.
‘Hidden gem’ of Indian Beach, NC
Indian Beach was the only place in North Carolina to earn a spot in the top 10. The town of about 200 people is a roughly 150-mile drive southeast from Raleigh, near the popular getaway spots of Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle.
“Indian Beach is the hidden gem of the Crystal Coast,” the town wrote on its website. “The town offers a spectacular beach environment with access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Bogue Sound.”
The under-the-radar status is in line with HomeToGo’s findings. The beach destination landed in the top half in the hidden gem category, which honored places with a low volume of searches on the website. It also ranked high for being a local secret, a category highlighting locations that tend to draw visitors who live nearby.
“While traditional hot spots remain popular, this year’s index shines light on some lesser-known beach destinations where travelers can make the most of their vacation without the stress of overcrowded shorelines or overburdened budgets,” Eleanor Moody, spokesperson and travel expert for HomeToGo, wrote in the release.
Indian Beach made its biggest mark when it came to visitor satisfaction, landing in a five-way tie for the highest score in the category. The category considered how tourists rated destinations on the websites “Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, and Facebook,” with many loving the town’s peaceful setting, Moody told The News & Observer via email.
But Indian Beach fell short when it came to costs. HomeToGo determined a nightly stay costs $161.84 per person, one of the highest median amounts among the coastal locations considered.
Where are other top NC beaches?
The results were published a year after another place in North Carolina earned recognition from HomeToGo. Kure Beach, near Wilmington, ranked among the ”ultimate beach destinations” for spring break, The N&O previously reported.
This time around, here’s how other North Carolina spots fared in the top 100:
- Sunset Beach at No. 21
- Kure Beach at No. 24 - tie
- Kitty Hawk Beach at No. 32
- Carova Beach at No. 35
- Topsail Beach at No. 41
- Holden Beach at No. 45
- Wrightsville Beach at No. 60
- Ocean Isle Beach at No. 69
- North Topsail Beach at No. 79
“With ten destinations across the state featured in the 2026 Beach Index — which includes only locations with a median nightly accommodation cost of under $200 per person — travelers can find their ideal place to stay in North Carolina at an affordable price point,” Moody wrote. “Sunset Beach and Kure Beach, for example, both ranked in the top 25, with median nightly prices per person below $100.”
Nationwide, the coastal destination that ranked No. 1 was Saint Joe Beach, on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Here are the places that rounded out the top five:
- Bethune Beach in Florida at No. 2
- Jamaica Beach in Texas at No. 3
- Butler Beach in Florida at No. 4
- South Bethany Beach in Delaware at No. 5
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 10:25 AM.
