[April 8, 2026 – Pismo Beach, CA] – For the second consecutive year, the votes are in and Pismo Beach, California has claimed the top spot in USA TODAY 10Best’s Readers’ Choice Award for Best Small Coastal Town. The 2026 win makes Pismo Beach the program’s first-ever back-to-back champion.
The official results were publicly announced on April 8, 2026 and are published at 10best.usatoday.com. Nominations were carefully curated by a panel of subject matter experts and USA TODAY 10Best editors before being opened to a national public vote. The 2026 top ten winners are:
- Pismo Beach, California
- Stuart, Florida
- Morro Bay, California
- Avalon, California
- Castine, Maine
- Cape May, New Jersey
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Beaufort, North Carolina
- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
- Cedar Key, Florida
Pismo Beach has been a consistent contender in this national recognition, finishing fifth in 2023, second in 2018, and claiming the top title in 2025 and again in 2026. Notably, this year’s list features four California coastal towns in the top ten, with Pismo Beach leading the state’s impressive showing alongside Morro Bay (#3), Avalon (#4), and Carmel-by-the-Sea (#9), underscoring the Central Coast’s appeal to travelers nationwide.
“This recognition means the world to our community and winning it twice in a row tells us that what makes Pismo Beach special isn’t a trend, it’s who we are,” said Gordon Jackson, Executive Director of the Pismo Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “There’s only one place where you can clam on the beach, wine taste in the afternoon, and catch a world-class sunset over the pier, and the whole country just voted for it. Again.”
