America’s Best Shopping Destinations

July 18, 2025

A new study has identified the states with the most top-rated shopping malls in America.

The research, conducted by Digital Directory Express, analyzed data on the top 400 shopping malls across the U.S., evaluating both the number of high-ranking malls per state and individual mall ratings based on consumer reviews.

Florida’s findings

Florida hosts 33 premier shopping destinations, putting the state in second place. Despite landing in second place, Florida malls achieve the highest ratings, with 6 locations in the top 10, including the best mall in the country by customer reviews, Brickell City Centre, followed by Bal Harbour Shops and Sawgrass Mills. These three malls have an average rating of 4.67 stars.

States with the Most Top-Rated Shopping Malls

Rank State Top Malls Open Malls
1 California 70 111
2 Florida 33 65
3 Texas 31 66
4 New York 26 54
5 New Jersey 19 33
6 Pennsylvania 15 53
7 Illinois 14 42
=8 Arizona 13 19
=8 Virginia 13 32
9 Maryland 12 28
10 Ohio 11 30

According to the findings, California is home to 70 of America’s top 400 malls, more than double Florida’s count. There are approximately 111 open malls in California, meaning 63% of the Golden State’s malls are in America’s top 400. The best malls in California, according to customer reviews, are Universal CityWalk, The Grove at Farmers Market and Las Americas Premium Outlets – all of which appear in America’s top 15 and are rated 4.6 out of 5.

Florida hosts 33 premier shopping destinations, putting the state in second place. Despite landing in second place, Florida malls achieve the highest ratings, with 6 locations in the top 10, including the best mall in the country by customer reviews, Brickell City Centre, followed by Bal Harbour Shops and Sawgrass Mills. These three malls have an average rating of 4.67 stars.

Texas follows closely in third with 31 top-rated malls. The best malls in the Lone Star State are NorthPark Center, La Plaza Mall and The Shops at La Cantera. These malls all appear in the country’s top 25 malls, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

New York claims fourth place with 26 malls in America’s top 400. The best malls in New York are Westfield World Trade Center, which is third best in the country, followed by Brookefield Place and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. The average rating for the Empire State’s best malls is 4.6.

New Jersey ranks fifth nationally with 19 top malls. The Garden State’s best mall is The Mills at Jersey Gardens, followed by the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, the second largest mall in America, at over 3 million square feet. New Jersey’s third-best mall is Garden State Plaza, and these top 3 malls have an average rating of 4.5 stars.

Pennsylvania secures sixth place with 15 premier shopping destinations, with the renowned King of Prussia Mall being the best and largest in the state, also ranking 12th nationally. Philadelphia Premium Outlets and Lehigh Valley Mall follow, with the top-rated malls in Pennsylvania averaging a 4.5-star rating.

Illinois claims seventh position with 14 top malls, including Navy Pier in Chicago, ranking fourth nationwide, followed by Oakbrook Center and Woodfield Mall. The best malls in Illinois have an average rating of 4.57 stars out of 5.

Arizona and Virginia tie for eighth place with 13 quality malls each, while Maryland claims ninth with 12 top malls, and Ohio rounds out the top 10 with 11 premier shopping centers.

Sam Rogers, Founder & CEO of Digital Directory Express commented: “These findings reflect California’s unique position as both a shopping hub and tourist destination. What’s particularly interesting is how the distribution of malls concentrates in states with large populations and strong tourism sectors.

“When examining individual mall performance, the data shows that Florida dominates the quality rankings with six malls in the top 10 based on customer ratings, while California places two. The highest-rated malls typically feature luxury retail options, unique architecture, and extensive entertainment amenities.

“What distinguishes the top-performing malls isn’t just their size or number of stores, but their ability to create compelling experiences. The highest-rated destinations combine premium shopping with distinctive dining and entertainment options, effectively becoming lifestyle centers rather than mere retail spaces.

“States like Florida and California benefit from year-round tourism, which drives developers to create exceptional retail experiences. These destinations aren’t just places to shop, they’re attractions in themselves, designed to capture visitor attention in highly competitive markets.”

America’s Top 10 Highest-Rated Shopping Malls

Rank Mall State Reviews Rating
1 Brickell City Centre Florida 17,205 4.70
2 Bal Harbour Shops Florida 5,780 4.70
3 Westfield World Trade Center New York 4,761 4.70
4 Navy Pier Illinois 80,528 4.60
5 Universal CityWalk California 65,997 4.60
6 Sawgrass Mills Florida 63,950 4.60
7 Dolphin Mall Florida 60,421 4.60
8 Aventura Mall Florida 41,273 4.60
9 The Mall at Millenia Florida 28,324 4.60
10 The Grove at Farmers Market California 26,319 4.60

 

Top 50 States by Number of Malls in Top 400

Rank State Number of Malls in Top 400
1 California 70
2 Florida 33
3 Texas 31
4 New York 26
5 New Jersey 19
6 Pennsylvania 15
7 Illinois 14
8 Arizona 13
9 Virginia 13
10 Maryland 12
11 Massachusetts 10
12 Michigan 9
13 Ohio 9
14 Georgia 8
15 North Carolina 8
16 Washington 8
17 Connecticut 7
18 Missouri 7
19 Nevada 7
20 Colorado 6
21 Indiana 6
22 Kentucky 6
23 Louisiana 6
24 Oregon 6
25 South Carolina 6
26 Tennessee 6
27 Utah 6
28 Hawaii 5
29 Iowa 5
30 Minnesota 5
31 Oklahoma 5
32 Alabama 4
33 Kansas 4
34 Mississippi 4
35 New Hampshire 3
36 New Mexico 3
37 Rhode Island 3
38 Wisconsin 3
39 District of Columbia 2
40 Idaho 2
41 Maine 2
42 Montana 2
43 North Dakota 2
44 West Virginia 2
45 Alaska 1
46 Arkansas 1
47 Delaware 1
48 Nebraska 1
49 South Dakota 1
50 Vermont 1

Sources:

Courtesy of https://digitaldirectoryexpress.com

Methodology:

Data was analyzed from ratings and reviews of the top 400 shopping malls across the United States. The rankings consider both the quantity of top malls per state and individual mall quality based on visitor ratings and review volumes from Google reviews.

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