It’s that time of year again — and in the spirit of the season, WalletHub has released its 2024 list of America’s “Best Cities for Christmas.”
“Christmas is just around the corner, and while it’s one of the most wonderful times of the year, it can also be one of the most stressful…” the study reads. “You don’t need to spend a lot to have a very merry Christmas, though. You just need to be with the right people — or in the right place.”
The list examines which places in the U.S. are feeling the holiday cheer the most, using the following key indicators:
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Traditions and Fun (20%): Includes factors like Christmas tree farms per capita; Google search interest for “Christmas celebration”; bakeries per capita; restaurants per capita; diversity of restaurants; number of attractions; ice skating rinks per capita; nightlife options per capita; and music venues per capita
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Observance (30%): Includes factors like the share of the Christian population and churches per capita
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Generosity (20%): Includes factors like food banks per capita; share of population that is collecting or distributing food/clothes for the needy; online giving per capita; and “Christmas spirit.”
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Shopping (10%): Includes factors like gift shops per capita; shopping centers and outlets per capita; toy stores and hobby shops per capita; candy stores and chocolatiers per capita; cards and stationary stores per capita; and holiday decorations shops and holiday decorating services per capita.
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Costs (20%): Includes factors like the cost of three-star hotel rooms; restaurant meal costs; number of affordable, high-quality restaurants; average beverage price; and the average price for two tickets to the theater.
At the top of the ranking sits Atlanta, which placed just ahead of Pittsburgh (No. 2) and Seattle (No. 3).
“Atlanta is the best city for Christmas celebrations this year, with plenty of stores to help you prepare for the holiday, including an extremely high number of bakeries, holiday decoration shops and card shops per capita. Atlanta is also one of the best cities when it comes to the prevalence of affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars, if you want to eat out for the holiday (or want a break from cooking afterward). It has the ninth-most Christmas tree farms per capita, too.
In addition, Atlanta residents get very excited about Christmas, searching Google for terms relating to the holiday more frequently than people in most other cities. The giving spirit can also be felt by Atlanta residents and visitors alike, as the city has the ninth-highest percentage of people who donate clothing to charity, along with the 13th-most online donations per capita.”
WalletHub, “Best Cities for Christmas”
However, Florida wasn’t left out of the Yuletide scramble. In fact, the Sunshine State had two entries in the top 10: Orlando at No. 5, and Miami at No. 8.
Orlando ranked as the top city in the nation when it comes to holiday shopping, though Miami also scored high when it comes to traditions and fun.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ranking is as follows:
| Overall Rank | City | Score | Traditions/Fun Rank | Observance Rank | Generosity Rank | Shopping Rank | Costs Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | 63.65 | 7 | 28 | 14 | 6 | 60 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh, PA | 62.64 | 27 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 38 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | 62.56 | 9 | 83 | 1 | 5 | 75 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, NV | 62.03 | 2 | 42 | 49 | 2 | 76 |
| 5 | Orlando, FL | 60.78 | 6 | 10 | 64 | 1 | 93 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | 60.76 | 3 | 67 | 2 | 4 | 98 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | 60.68 | 20 | 5 | 47 | 14 | 23 |
| 8 | Miami, FL | 59.92 | 5 | 26 | 82 | 7 | 41 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | 57.16 | 4 | 92 | 13 | 16 | 70 |
| 10 | New York, NY | 57.04 | 1 | 97 | 4 | 3 | 100 |
| 11 | New Orleans, LA | 57.01 | 14 | 6 | 60 | 28 | 57 |
| 12 | Cincinnati, OH | 56.70 | 24 | 13 | 53 | 17 | 32 |
| 13 | Birmingham, AL | 56.51 | 52 | 1 | 70 | 32 | 9 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | 56.13 | 17 | 70 | 11 | 12 | 50 |
| 15 | Honolulu, HI | 55.85 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 10 | 95 |
| 16 | San Diego, CA | 55.30 | 10 | 89 | 22 | 11 | 82 |
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA | 55.26 | 8 | 96 | 21 | 8 | 84 |
| 18 | Denver, CO | 54.17 | 11 | 71 | 26 | 23 | 83 |
| 19 | Washington, DC | 53.69 | 12 | 50 | 5 | 51 | 97 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | 53.60 | 25 | 20 | 34 | 40 | 44 |
| 21 | Wichita, KS | 53.24 | 80 | 7 | 88 | 62 | 1 |
| 22 | Buffalo, NY | 52.94 | 41 | 2 | 76 | 38 | 66 |
| 23 | Austin, TX | 52.85 | 19 | 72 | 42 | 20 | 36 |
| 24 | Phoenix, AZ | 52.75 | 13 | 88 | 19 | 9 | 90 |
| 25 | St. Paul, MN | 52.37 | 44 | 8 | 45 | 33 | 47 |
| 26 | Tampa, FL | 52.13 | 23 | 14 | 31 | 27 | 94 |
| 27 | Omaha, NE | 51.14 | 42 | 32 | 61 | 34 | 10 |
| 28 | Virginia Beach, VA | 51.03 | 31 | 57 | 30 | 48 | 4 |
| 29 | Durham, NC | 50.81 | 65 | 19 | 37 | 78 | 8 |
| 30 | San Antonio, TX | 50.48 | 15 | 76 | 84 | 18 | 34 |
| 31 | Dallas, TX | 50.30 | 16 | 75 | 57 | 21 | 74 |
| 32 | Sacramento, CA | 50.25 | 33 | 46 | 25 | 19 | 81 |
| 33 | Raleigh, NC | 49.91 | 43 | 31 | 28 | 37 | 54 |
| 34 | Scottsdale, AZ | 49.91 | 48 | 69 | 8 | 15 | 77 |
| 35 | Oklahoma City, OK | 49.57 | 50 | 38 | 54 | 42 | 13 |
| 36 | Reno, NV | 49.41 | 56 | 60 | 24 | 43 | 7 |
| 37 | Fort Wayne, IN | 49.24 | 86 | 25 | 35 | 68 | 6 |
| 38 | Tulsa, OK | 49.16 | 67 | 21 | 71 | 36 | 17 |
| 39 | Charlotte, NC | 48.90 | 40 | 51 | 29 | 35 | 46 |
| 40 | Nashville, TN | 48.80 | 28 | 49 | 56 | 29 | 62 |
| 41 | Houston, TX | 48.74 | 22 | 90 | 77 | 22 | 24 |
| 42 | Colorado Springs, CO | 48.64 | 57 | 44 | 33 | 30 | 42 |
| 43 | Boston, MA | 48.40 | 26 | 85 | 3 | 46 | 96 |
| 44 | Indianapolis, IN | 48.36 | 39 | 81 | 18 | 41 | 37 |
| 45 | Greensboro, NC | 48.18 | 51 | 9 | 95 | 63 | 14 |
| 46 | Cleveland, OH | 48.18 | 34 | 11 | 66 | 52 | 88 |
| 47 (TIE) | Tucson, AZ | 47.97 | 36 | 47 | 80 | 24 | 45 |
| 47 (TIE) | Long Beach, CA | 47.97 | 55 | 27 | 27 | 55 | 69 |
| 49 | Louisville, KY | 47.75 | 45 | 48 | 46 | 26 | 59 |
| 50 | Memphis, TN | 47.48 | 60 | 30 | 72 | 69 | 20 |
| 51 | Irvine, CA | 47.45 | 30 | 59 | 15 | 64 | 80 |
| 52 | Norfolk, VA | 47.45 | 47 | 15 | 68 | 83 | 29 |
| 53 | Anaheim, CA | 47.24 | 29 | 40 | 86 | 39 | 28 |
| 54 | San Jose, CA | 47.13 | 37 | 68 | 6 | 49 | 91 |
| 55 | Albuquerque, NM | 47.11 | 64 | 24 | 83 | 25 | 53 |
| 56 | Bakersfield, CA | 47.00 | 68 | 17 | 89 | 75 | 11 |
| 57 | Fort Worth, TX | 46.91 | 59 | 55 | 38 | 65 | 16 |
| 58 | Philadelphia, PA | 46.88 | 21 | 84 | 48 | 31 | 89 |
| 59 | Madison, WI | 46.66 | 61 | 80 | 10 | 67 | 31 |
| 60 | Oakland, CA | 46.56 | 63 | 35 | 9 | 73 | 92 |
| 61 | Newark, NJ | 46.40 | 82 | 4 | 69 | 100 | 71 |
| 62 | Baltimore, MD | 46.37 | 35 | 53 | 41 | 50 | 67 |
| 63 | Santa Ana, CA | 46.33 | 32 | 54 | 43 | 79 | 51 |
| 64 | Plano, TX | 45.47 | 69 | 77 | 16 | 59 | 26 |
| 65 | Kansas City, MO | 45.46 | 62 | 39 | 78 | 60 | 27 |
| 66 | Milwaukee, WI | 45.26 | 46 | 34 | 73 | 76 | 63 |
| 67 | St. Petersburg, FL | 45.07 | 54 | 33 | 81 | 54 | 49 |
| 68 | Chesapeake, VA | 45.06 | 53 | 43 | 40 | 95 | 33 |
| 69 | El Paso, TX | 45.06 | 70 | 16 | 93 | 61 | 35 |
| 70 | Jacksonville, FL | 45.00 | 58 | 61 | 50 | 44 | 43 |
| 71 | Lincoln, NE | 44.61 | 76 | 78 | 51 | 82 | 3 |
| 72 | Boise, ID | 44.59 | 71 | 37 | 67 | 47 | 64 |
| 73 | Baton Rouge, LA | 44.50 | 74 | 29 | 97 | 56 | 22 |
| 74 | Winston-Salem, NC | 44.07 | 89 | 22 | 87 | 89 | 12 |
| 75 | Fresno, CA | 43.67 | 84 | 41 | 92 | 72 | 2 |
| 76 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 43.61 | 73 | 63 | 52 | 53 | 40 |
| 77 | Corpus Christi, TX | 43.19 | 92 | 36 | 98 | 85 | 5 |
| 78 | Lubbock, TX | 43.17 | 79 | 45 | 91 | 71 | 15 |
| 79 | Columbus, OH | 42.96 | 38 | 86 | 58 | 45 | 79 |
| 80 | Riverside, CA | 41.75 | 93 | 18 | 79 | 66 | 87 |
| 81 | Jersey City, NJ | 41.56 | 90 | 58 | 23 | 84 | 86 |
| 82 | Mesa, AZ | 41.53 | 85 | 62 | 32 | 70 | 73 |
| 83 | Irving, TX | 40.68 | 91 | 79 | 36 | 99 | 25 |
| 84 | Garland, TX | 40.51 | 97 | 74 | 55 | 94 | 18 |
| 85 | Detroit, MI | 40.30 | 49 | 52 | 90 | 92 | 72 |
| 86 | Glendale, AZ | 39.96 | 78 | 82 | 62 | 58 | 48 |
| 87 | Toledo, OH | 39.91 | 94 | 12 | 99 | 87 | 68 |
| 88 | Arlington, TX | 39.63 | 87 | 66 | 63 | 81 | 65 |
| 89 | Fremont, CA | 39.55 | 96 | 91 | 12 | 91 | 56 |
| 90 | Gilbert, AZ | 39.15 | 75 | 94 | 17 | 86 | 85 |
| 91 | Chandler, AZ | 38.97 | 80 | 93 | 39 | 77 | 52 |
| 92 | Aurora, CO | 38.15 | 88 | 87 | 74 | 74 | 39 |
| 93 | Anchorage, AK | 38.04 | 66 | 73 | 44 | 57 | 99 |
| 94 | Stockton, CA | 38.01 | 77 | 56 | 96 | 90 | 55 |
| 95 | Chula Vista, CA | 35.80 | 83 | 95 | 65 | 93 | 61 |
| 96 | Henderson, NV | 35.51 | 95 | 99 | 59 | 98 | 21 |
| 97 | Laredo, TX | 34.80 | 99 | 65 | 100 | 80 | 19 |
| 98 | San Bernadino, CA | 34.28 | 100 | 64 | 94 | 97 | 78 |
| 99 | Hialeah, FL | 33.34 | 72 | 100 | 85 | 96 | 58 |
| 100 | North Las Vegas, NV | 32.58 | 98 | 98 | 75 | 88 | 30 |
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