Pump up your adrenaline as a thrill seeker in these cities
Do you push yourself to feel that rush any chance you get? As a thrill seeker, you’re constantly challenging yourself and looking for the next opportunity to get your heart racing. Whether you love a fast rollercoaster, climbing a mountain or skydiving on the regular, you need access to thrills in your backyard.
Check out the best cities for thrill seekers below — from skydiving to amusement park opportunities just for you.
Best cities for thrill seekers, counting down
Push yourself to the limit and feel your stomach drop at each one of these cities for thrill seekers. Florida and Texas go head to head with three of the best cities each — see what they have to offer and find out the number one spot.
10. Miami
With nearly half a million residents, Miami always comes to mind when thinking about palm trees, tropical drinks and beautiful beaches. Still, the city also has much to offer to thrill seekers. You’ve got a few local opportunities to skydive and jump from two miles above ground at 120 miles per hour, whether you want to do solo or tandem. The Everglades Safari Park is just one of many amusement parks available in the area. On average, you can rent a one-bedroom for $2,954 per month if you want to be close to the action.
Top apartments in Miami:
9. Tampa, FL
While rents have trended up in Tampa, you can still enjoy the sunshine at an average one-bedroom apartment for $1,790 per month. You can enjoy access to the Gulf Coast for beach days and the sunset on the Tampa Riverwalk, a pedestrian trail along the Hillsborough River.
Don’t worry; it’s not all beach bums around here. If amusement parks are more your thing, Tampa has several amusement parks that will make you scream your head off.
Head to the legendary Busch Gardens for a ride on Cobra’s Curse, a spinning rollercoaster that goes up 70 feet in the air. Don’t miss the SheiKra, which takes a 200-foot climb before doing a 90-degree drop at 70 miles per hour. Just don’t be surprised by the splash at the end! Both rides often claim top spots on roller coaster enthusiasts’ top 10 lists.
Top apartments in Tampa:
8. Austin
With one of the largest bat colonies in the world, Austin is a sight for thrill seekers who want a side of spooky. Take your kayak to Ladybird Lake to see them take off every day around dusk. For those seeking more extraordinary adventures, you have skydiving spots to pick from to freefall for 20 minutes above Austin. You can also try flyboarding, propelling yourself above water up to 50 feet in the air.
If you instead prefer to be strapped into a rollercoaster, check out Austin’s first indoor rollercoaster at Austin’s Park, one of 33 amusement parks in the city. Soak up the sun in Austin for $1,536 monthly on average for a one-bedroom apartment.
Top apartments in Austin:
7. San Antonio
San Antonio may be the place for you as a thrill seeker. Head to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and enjoy one of the 10 roller coasters just north of the city. Cool off after a whole day in the theme park by heading up to Hurricane Harbor water park and hopping on the RipQurl, a slide where you travel up to 25 feet per second into a chute and the pool below.
Unwind during the week by strolling on the River Walk in the afternoon past the Pearl Historic District while watching the river boats go by. On average, one-bedroom apartments remain affordable in the area at $1,086 per month.
Top apartments in San Antonio:
6. Chicago
After long winters, Chicago takes a breath of fresh air every summer, and what better place to spend it than the Navy Pier? Nearly 200 feet tall, the Centennial Wheel offers 360-degree views of Chicago and Lake Michigan. The amusement park is one of many options that Chicago offers, along with skydiving opportunities for thrill seekers to jump off a plane and see the city’s renowned architecture from above.
Rent an average one-bedroom in the Windy City for $1,837 per month and enjoy weekend adventures out to the indoor amusement park Safari Land or out to Gurnee for Six Flags Great America and its 45 rides and attractions.
Top apartments in Chicago:
5. Las Vegas
Is it possible for a whole city to be an amusement park? The Las Vegas Strip is infamously an amusement park. The Adventuredome Indoor Theme Park, a five-acre playground at Circus Circus, features the Canyon Blaster rollercoaster. The Canyon Blaster is a double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster going up to 55 miles per hour.
You can also take advantage of several skydiving spots, including SkyJump at the STRAT Tower. Bungee jump from over 800 feet above the Las Vegas strip into a landing pad at 40 miles per hour. Also attached to the STRAT, you’ll find a ginormous claw machine that tilts brave riders. Thrill seekers can find one-bedroom apartments in Las Vegas for $1,349 per month on average.
Top apartments in Las Vegas:
4. Houston
At the number four spot, Houston has remained one of the largest U.S. cities without a major theme park, but the city still boasts some fun thrills. There are plenty of adventures to experience in this Texan city, like the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, Houston’s largest water park near Spring.
The Tornado, a giant funnel ride, drops you from 75 feet high in a raft with three other people down a 132-foot tunnel. At the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, just 50 miles away on the coast, you can enjoy a 100-foot-tall Ferris wheel ride followed by a ride in the park’s only rollercoaster.
You can find a one-bedroom apartment for $1,282 per month on average, well below the national average.
Top apartments in Houston:
3. Perris, CA
While the city of Perris has less than 100,000 residents, the amount of skydiving per capita in the area is off the charts. Perris has an incredible amount of skydiving places.
Thanks to one of the country’s biggest drop zones, the city is full of family-owned businesses operating traditional and indoor skydiving businesses aimed at thrill seekers. Among the many world records in the city, in 2009, 181 women skydivers from 31 countries made the world’s largest all-woman formation in the sky to raise one million dollars for breast cancer research.
Despite a recent increase, Perris remains affordable at $825 per month on average for a one-bedroom apartment.
Top apartments in Perris:
2. San Diego
San Diego has many amusement parks to enjoy the perfect weather at. Beachside amusement park Belmont Park has the Giant Dipper rollercoaster with a vintage look right on Mission Bay. It first opened in 1925 and has many rides plus a mini golf course.
Of course, you can’t miss SeaWorld San Diego and its high-speed rollercoasters. A drop from 14 stories high to 60 miles per hour, you’ll be screaming through the loops on Emperor Dive.
On average, you can rent a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego for $2,837 per month.
Top apartments in San Diego:
1. Orlando, FL
No surprise here that Orlando takes the number one spot for best cities for thrill seekers as it is the theme park capital of the world. Orlando has more amusement parks than we can count on our hands in a city of just over 300,000 residents — Disney World, Universal Studios, and Epcot, to name a few.
Looking for the most incredible thrill of all? Hop over to Universal Studios for the VelociCoaster, which opened in 2021. It’s one of the nation’s fastest rollercoasters, with two launches to enjoy. You have an 80-degree drop that takes you on high loops and 360-degree inversions — all at 70 miles per hour. Best of all, you’ll hang for a perilous two seconds over a lake, held in only by a lap restraint (and seatbelt).
If you want to be close to the action and ride Orlando’s iconic 400-feet Ferris wheel on weekends, you can rent a one-bedroom apartment in Orlando for $1,757 per month on average.
Top apartments in Orlando:
No cheap thrills here
As a thrill seeker, you seek out a little adventure and adrenaline rush from a mundane weekend. What better way to fill your craving for excitement than by moving to one of the best cities for thrill seekers?
