The Top US Beach For 2025 Has Miles Of White Quartz Sand (And It Isn't In California, Hawaii, Or Florida)

Every year, the coastal scientist and Florida International University professor Dr. Stephen Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, studies the best beaches in the United States and ranks them based on 50 factors. While you might expect the list to be topped by a Hawaiian surf spot or somewhere on Florida's Paradise Coast, like the pristine Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, 2025's winner lands in Long Island, New York. In the Hamptons, villages like Sag Harbor offer New York's best stretches of sand, but the number one pick this year goes to Coopers Beach in Southampton.

Among Dr. Beach's 50 criteria for evaluating beaches are things like the sand softness, weather, and views and vistas. Dr. Beach particularly praised Coopers Beach for its white quartz sand, mellow climate, and view of "large sand dunes covered by American beach grass interspersed with extravagant mansions." Coopers Beach beat out Hawaii's Wailea Beach and Poipu Beach, which earned second and third place, respectively. Coopers is stocked with concessions, umbrella rentals, and other amenities, plus you're just a few minutes by car from downtown Southampton, where there's no shortage of high-end shopping and dining.

Coopers Beach extends across about 500 feet of oceanfront. It's known for its fine, white sand along the spacious shoreline, which makes for an easy barefoot walk and comfortable surface to lay your towel on. The beach is encircled by rolling dunes peppered with beach grass. In the years leading up to Coopers Beach's number one ranking, the town was putting in effort to truly make it the best possible — planting new dune grass, upgrading technology to monitor for sharks, and providing easy access for lifeguards.

Reviewers have noted the water quality at Coopers Beach as clean, seaweed-free, and with a gentle surf. The beach has concessions for when you want to snack, including the Coopers Beach Shack, where you can get burgers or a bowl. There are also picnic tables available, plus a bathhouse and chair and umbrella rentals. During the peak summer months (July and August), the beach can get a bit crowded, especially on weekends, though the crowds typically dissipate by September. Dr. Beach also recommends September as the best time to visit to bypass the tourist season and still experience warm waters.

Coopers Beach is only about a five-minute drive from downtown Southampton (when traffic isn't bad), or about two hours from New York City, making it a convenient destination if you're flying into JFK or LaGuardia airports. Drivers should note, though, that there's a hefty parking fee at the beach, usually around $50 per day. It's the one downside mentioned by Dr. Beach, though he suggests taking advantage of the affordable transit service called Circuit (formerly Free Ride) that's available in Southampton. With Circuit, you can book a low-cost or free electric shuttle through an app to get you (and up to four others) around Southampton.

Travelers looking for the cheapest destinations for a beach vacation won't have much luck in Southampton. Most average hotel rooms here fall in the range of $600 to $1,000 per night, with some villa rentals priced at well over $2,000 a night. With that said, many find the price tag worth it for the experience. Aside from getting to relax at the country's top-ranked beach, Southampton is a beautiful village to walk around in, with boardwalks, lovely parks, and historic shops that reflect the quintessential Long Island blend of small-town character and luxury.