These Budget-Friendly States Are The Best In The US For Travelers Seeking A Short-Haul Shopping Trip

One of the best things about traveling is all the interesting things you find in a new place. Each town has its own take on fashion, thrifting, and savings. There's only one thing every destination has in common: They all have deals if you look hard enough. Maybe you're into finding backstreets filled with affordable and authentic vintage stores, thrift shops from local charities filled to the brim with knick-knacks, or long stretches of outlet malls with deep discounts and Auntie Annie's. However, not all deals are created equal. 

To get to the bottom of the country's best budget shopping, the fine folks at NYC Leather Jackets conducted a great American shopping study, crawling the internet to collect a variety of shopping cost data in all 50 states. They looked at the total number of stores, clothing sales tax rates, and the numbers, ratings, and pricing of local hotels to identify great short-haul shopping destinations. They also created a list of "essentials" such as a pair of Levi's 501 jeans, a chain store summer dress, a pair of mid-range Nike running shoes, and a pair of men's leather business shoes and charted the price of these items state by state. 

NYC Leather Jackets then turned this data into a composite score from zero to 100 that defines the best and worst U.S. states that can work as a roadmap for your next great deal-busting shopping trip. We all know that cities like New York and California are famed for their world-renowned shopping, but nobody heads to New York City expecting a budget vacation. Next time you've got the urge to splurge, make your money go further and score a great deal at one of these super affordable destinations.  

Delaware, home to the first people to ever ratify the U.S. Consitution, is also home to the country's most affordable pair of Levi's 501s. Our founding fathers would be proud to know that Delaware is a great place to head, not just for jeans but for all items on NYC Leather Jackets' list of essentials. Buying everything from that list will only cost you $250 in Delaware, and since the state has no clothing sales tax, that's the final price. Everything, from leather business shoes to hotel rooms, can be yours affordably in Delaware. It's the only state that scored a combined budget shopping score of 100.

To make the most of it, head to Wilmington, Delaware, whose great shopping scene has helped it become known as one of the most affordable weekend getaways in the country. The Wilmington airport is only a 10-minute drive away from Christina Mall, the largest shopping mall in the state. Head here to score your name-brand electronics and fancy sunglasses. In addition to the grand malls, Wilmington has many thrift stores to choose from. Check out DBCC's Great Stuff Resale, a women's clothing reseller that donates all of its profits to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. The only thing better than scoring a deal is finding a discount that makes a difference.

Pennsylvania is another great state to head to for cheap shopping. According to NYC Leather Jackets' data, Philadelphia has more than 250 thrift stores, just behind the amount that can be found in New York City and Los Angeles. This is complemented with significantly more affordable 'essentials' compared to what you'll find in those two states. Key to these steep discounts are the state's 50 outlet malls, some of which can reportedly net you a comfy summer dress from a store like Zara or H&M for as little as $38.

Philadelphia is the obvious choice for a shopping trip to Pennsylvania, but true budget deal hunters might want to check out somewhere like Erie, where brand name shoppers will love the downtown Millcreek Mall and thrifters will drift towards Cobb's Second Time Around Thrift Store, three floors of peace and vintage. You can also sniff around in Lewisburg. This quaint town has a walkable downtown area that connects three different vintage shops with the infamous Street of shops in ten minutes of walking. The three downtown thrift shops are reason enough to head to Lewisburg, but the Street of Shops elevates this walk into a pilgrimage. This attraction serves as an homage to deals, featuring a massive indoor village and flea market with hundreds of shops, restaurants, and deals. 

Vermont finished third in the nationwide budget-shopping ranking despite only listing 33 thrift stores in its largest city and six outlet malls in the entire state. In this case, quality has beaten quantity, and it's the best quality of all: great deals. According to NYC Leather Jackets' research, there is nowhere in the United States of America where you can find essential clothing items for less than in Vermont. Researchers said their listed clothing ensemble only costs $238 in Vermont, largely because of cheap shoe prices. A pair of Nikes only cost $55 in Vermont, less than half of what researchers reported you would have to pay in Oklahoma and other expensive shopping states.

Vermont is known as the Green Mountain State, and if you want to get close to the state's incredible outdoor action while staying plugged into its best shopping, plan your next trip to Burlington, Vermont. The town has tons of local, vintage, and affordable shopping options like the Shalom Shuk Marketplace of Peace, a used clothing store whose proceeds support immigrants and people in need. Plus, it's all surrounded by Lake Champlain and beautiful Stowe Mountain, so make sure you stretch your trip out long enough to score some great threads and wear your new gear on a hiking trip. Spend one day at the lake and another strolling with bags in hand along the Church Street Marketplace, a downtown pedestrian walkway that guides you through tons of shops in downtown Burlington.

According to NYC Leather Jackets' research, Montana is one of only six states in the country that doesn't have an outlet mall. That fact didn't stop the state from ranking in the top five best budget-friendly shopping destinations nationwide. Despite its lack of budget malls, Montana boasts several important traits for a contender: a non-existent sales tax and a relatively low total spend for the essentials collection. Montana also scored incredibly high marks in its available accommodation options, which looks like the key factor that elevated it into the top five. An average hotel stay in the state will set you back $224, the cheapest of any of the top five budget shopping destinations. The hotels are cheap, and Montana also recorded the highest average accommodation satisfaction rating of any state in the union.

This great combination of affordability and quality in Montana's hotel options makes Big Sky country an excellent state for a shopping road trip. Make sure your route takes you through Dillon, which is home to one of the United States' five Patagonia outlet stores. This one store is worth the trip to Dillon already, as it's home to hundreds of dollars in discounts on genuine past-season Patagonia equipment. They also make repairs on-site. To sweeten the deal, Dillon is also home to several quality thrift shops. You can combine your Patagonia trip with a stop at Gracies New and Used, the Bargain Basement, A to Z Thrift Shop, and the Sagebrush & Lace Boutique, which are all close enough to visit in one great day of discount shopping. 

We'll round out our top five on the West Coast. Oregon snuck its way into the top budget states, largely thanks to Portland, which unsurprisingly, has a truly incredible thrifting scene. NYC Leather Jackets recorded 224 thrift stores in Oregon's largest city, a phenomenal thrift store per capita index. For instance, Portland only has 35 fewer thrift stores than Philadelphia despite having almost half the population.

Portland's thrift scene rivals that of anywhere in the country, but you might be surprised to find out that even though Oregon is Nike's home state, it's not a great place to go shoe shopping. Oregon lost a few points in the Nike running shoe category because a pair of mid-range runners will set you back over $100. Despite those few spikes, Oregon kept a majority of its essential clothing numbers lower, relied on thrift shopping, and provided an affordable hotel experience to make the rank. 

Any thrifting trip to Oregon should head directly to Portland, but you probably don't need me to tell you that, and it's not the only place to score deals along the trail. Outdoor enthusiasts will love shopping in Bend, Oregon, home to three separate high-quality secondhand outdoor gear stores. Outlet mall lovers can pair their shopping trip with a well-deserved beach vacation in Lincoln City, an artsy haven with breathtaking beaches and discounts on more than 45 national brands at the Lincoln City Outlets.