The latest vacay buzz is all about “townsizing”—a shift away from big-city getaways in favor of small towns with storybook charm. More and more travelers, especially Gen Z, are opting for destinations that feel like something out of an old-fashioned movie.
In response to this growing trend—searches for slower, more intentional travel are up 4,700 percent over the past year. SIXT ranked the top 20 small-town destinations in the U.S. based on population, walkability, local business offerings, and overall noise levels (the quieter, the better). One of our favorite Jersey Shore towns placed second on the list.
Cape May has a population of just 2,757 people, a noise level of 65 decibels (considered to be moderate), and 800 local businesses, making this walkable beach town (it ranked 81 out of 100 for walkability) perfect for a slower, seaside escape, according to SIXT.
Cape May has so much to offer vacationers, from the beachfront to the downtown by Washington Street Mall to Cape May Point’s natural areas to nearby Cape May Court House and its popular free park and zoo.
The Victorian homes and architecture make you feel like you’re in Europe. Congress Hall’s resort and restaurant take you back to post-colonial days. The Emlen Physick Estate, a Victorian home and museum dating back to 1879, has the charming The Carriage House Café & Tearoom.
You can walk pretty much anywhere, especially along the boardwalk. Renting bikes is an easy way to explore the area, too. You can also go railbiking, pedaling along decommissioned railroad tracks, to see the new murals at The Garrett Family Preserve.
Nature lovers can whale watch along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, visit the lighthouse at Cape May Point State Park for views of the Delaware Bay, or birdwatch along the Atlantic Flyway at South Cape May Meadows. Monarch butterflies, dragonflies, and horseshoe crabs are also common in the area; or trade in your binoculars for a history hat and check out the World War II bunkers and the SS Atlantis.
SIXT used the list of the top 55 small towns in America from Architectural Digest (where Cape May is ranked 4th out of 55) and narrowed that down to the top 25, comparing population size, walkability, noise levels and the number of local businesses using data current from June 27, 2025.
Top 20 Places to Visit With Small-Town, Townsizing Charm, according to Sixt:
- Decorah, Iowa
- Cape May, New Jersey
- Sewanee, Tennessee
- Houghton, Michigan
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
- Yellow Springs, Ohio
- Ketchum, Idaho
- Mystic, Connecticut
- Marfa, Texas
- Nashville, Indiana
- Galena, Illinois
- Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
- Meredith, New Hampshire
- St. Francisville, Louisiana
- Boonville, California
- Cashiers, North Carolina
- Rhinebeck, New York
- Madison, Georgia
- Pawleys Island, South Carolina
- Rocheport, Missouri
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