A new study by SwimOutlet has identified the most affordable water parks ahead of the summer, with the Six Flags franchise dominating the top five.
Each popular park was awarded a score out of ten based on performance across visitor reviews (Google), the number of rides/pools/flooms, ticket prices, and national interest (determined via monthly Google searches).
Georgia’s Six Flags White Water ranks first as the best value for money at an average of $32 per ticket. It has 21 attractions and a Google review score of 3.9. The park also boasts 26% more attractions than the typical park in the top ten.
The parks that follow in second, third, and fourth place are also Six Flag branches, meaning they too are priced at an average of $35 per ticket.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Texas ranks second, boasting 18 attractions and an impressive Google rating of 4.1 out of five. Texas placed 16th for the states most interested in visiting a water park, with 3,337 Google searches.
In third and fourth are Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix, Arizona, with a score of 4 from Google reviews and 15 attractions, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor NJ, with 12 attractions and a 3.6 rating on Google reviews.
Despite having easy access to value-for-money water parks, Arizona and New Jersey placed 30th and 29th for states wanting to visit one this year, with 2,396 and 2,396 average monthly Google searches per 100k residents.
The ten best value for money water parks in the US
| Water Park | Average Ticket Price | Number of Attractions | Average Google Review Rating (Out of Five) | |
| 1 | Six Flags White Water | $32.00 | 21 | 3.9 |
| 2 | Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown | $35.00 | 18 | 4.1 |
| 3 | Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix | $35.00 | 15 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Six Flags Hurricane Harbor NJ | $35.00 | 12 | 3.6 |
| 5 | Aquatica San Antonio | $36.99 | 17 | 4.6 |
| 6 | Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels | $39.99 | 19 | 4.4 |
| 7 | Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston | $39.99 | 11 | 4.3 |
| 8 | Typhoon Texas | $44.99 | 10 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington | $45.00 | 23 | 4.1 |
| 10 | Adventure Island | $47.99 | 20 | 4.2 |
The most expensive end of the top ten has Typhoon Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington, and Adventure Island rank eighth, ninth, and tenth, with ticket prices of $44.99, $45, and $47.99, respectively.
Overall, the state that is most interested in visiting a water park this year is Connecticut, with an average of 5,049 searches made per 100k residents, while the least enthusiastic is Alaska at 837 monthly Google searches.
Speaking on the findings, Alexander Sienkiewicz, CMO of SwimOutlet said, “After theme park popularity was affected by the pandemic, those with water rides struggled with concerns around health and safety. However, they’ve since made a strong comeback, and are likely to see a resurgence this year.
“It’s clear that the Six Flags water parks are the most family-friendly, with half of the top ten being part of the ‘aquadynamic’ franchise. While it’s important to treat families to days out, they feel even better when they don’t break the bank.
“With the constant demand for summer holiday activities and improved health and safety measures, water parks will surge this year once again, giving guests exercise and relaxation along with joy and fun – exactly how every summer should be!”
