2018's Best 30 Cities for Christmas

Wondering which American cities give holiday travelers the most bang for their buck in 2018? Well, you're in luck because WalletHub recently compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 31 key indicators of a festive and affordable Christmas across five key dimensions, including holiday traditions and fun, shopping, observance, generosity and costs.

The Theme Park Capital of the World takes the Christmas crown, ranking inside the top five in three of the five key dimensions, including traditions and fun (third), shopping (second) and costs (fifth). Orlando also ranks first for most gift shops, toy stores and hobby shops per capita.

No city tops Las Vegas when it comes to Christmas shopping and only two others fare better in terms of holiday costs. Still, it's likely no surprise Sin City ranks outside of the top 30 for generosity and observance.

The number one city for Christmas traditions and fun, New York City is only held back by holiday costs, where it ranks a dismal 94th. The Big Apple placed in the top six for shopping, generosity and observance.

Atlanta definitely won't disappoint foodies or Christmas visitors as it's the third-best American city in terms of generosity and seventh-best for traditions and fun. Costs and shopping are its two worst dimensions and it still lands inside the top 40 in both. The ATL also ranks among the best U.S. cities to celebrate New Year's Eve, according to WalletHub.

Pittsburgh ranks inside the top 25 in all five key dimensions, including 15th for costs. The Steel City is also certain to brighten your Christmas spirit as it ranks second for observance and fifth for generosity.

If money is no object this year, San Francisco should be on your holiday radar considering the Bay Area ranks second for Christmas traditions and fun, third for shopping and eighth for generosity.

Farther south, Los Angeles stands out for its nation-leading Christmas traditions and fun (fifth), world-class shopping (fifth) and observance of the festive holiday (13th).

It's no secret that Chicago is a special place to spend Christmas and WalletHub's data backs that up. The Windy City ranks inside the top four for both holiday traditions and fun and observance, making it a coveted December destination for revelers and believers alike.

Seattle ranks best in the country for generosity, a dimension that takes into account food banks and online giving per capita, the share of income donated to charity, the share of population collecting and distributing food and clothes for the needy and Christmas spirit.

Despite ranking middle-of-the-pack for costs and generosity, Dallas rounds out the top 10 in WalletHub's rankings thanks to its plentiful holiday shopping opportunities, Christmas traditions and fun and observance. It made the top 15 in all three of the aforementioned categories in 2018.

St. Louis outperformed Dallas in terms of Christmas shopping, observance and costs but ranks just 21st for traditions and fun. Only Pittsburgh fared worst among cities in the top 12 overall.

The nation's capital performs well in terms of traditions and fun (ninth) and generosity (second) around the Christmas season. However, high costs and relatively fewer shopping options hold it back from cracking the top 10.

Cincinnati ranks just inside the top 10 for observance (ninth) and just outside the top 10 for Christmas costs (11th). That's good enough to tie Washington, D.C. for 12th.

For budget-conscious travelers seeking a phenomenal city to observe the Christian holiday, Birmingham can't be beaten. It ranks first for observance (share of Christian population and churches per capita) and also checks in at a respectable 13th for costs.

The Mile High City is a steady performer across the board, ranking 12th for Christmas traditions and fun. The potential for a white Christmas also gives Denver an edge over some other high-ranking destinations.

Houston is more affordable than Dallas but trails its Lone Star State rival in terms of Christmas traditions and fun, shopping and generosity. Still, Clutch City finds itself comfortably in the top 20 this year.

In the Pacific Northwest, Portland is a top 10 city for Christmas shopping and ranks tops in the nation for most Christmas tree farms per capita and fifth for most toy stores and hobby shops per capita, giving Seattle a run for its money.

Tampa's 18th-place ranking can be attributed to its impressive performance in the shopping (14th) and traditions and fun (20th) dimensions. After all, it ranks just 60th for costs.

Perhaps surprisingly, Miami tied for first for most Christmas tree farms per capita. The sunny South Florida city also ranks 10th for traditions and fun as well as shopping but could set holiday visitors back a bit as it ranks 82nd for costs.

Austin makes a strong case as the best Christmas city in Texas despite trailing both Dallas and Houston as the Live Music Capital of the World ranks 16th for costs and 17th for both traditions and fun and shopping.

Despite being nicknamed the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia ranks just 46th for generosity. Nonetheless, Christmas costs (80th) is by far its biggest shortcoming this time of year as it ranks toward the top in terms of traditions and fun as well as observance.

The only city outside of the mainland U.S. to make the top 30, sun-soaked Honolulu places fourth for shopping and a surprising 18th for Christmas traditions and fun.

San Antonio is the fourth and final Texas city represented in the top 30 thanks to top 25 rankings in four of the five key dimensions, including shopping (21st), traditions and fun (22nd), observance (23rd) and costs (25th).

A premier Christmas destination for shopping and seasonal fun, San Diego only lacks the winter weather and affordability that many travelers are seeking this time of year.

Of cities in WalletHub's top 30, only Las Vegas and Orlando fare better than Louisville in terms of Christmas costs. The Derby City also ranks 20th in terms of observance.

Minneapolis is a destination with tremendous white Christmas potential and stellar holiday shopping opportunities that include the nearby Mall of America.

The Music City ranks inside the top 50 in all five important categories with generosity (21st) among its top Christmas season draws.

Indianapolis doesn't dominate any one key category, only breaking into the top 30 for observance (22nd) and Christmas costs (26th).

It's certainly a close call for such a popular destination, but the Big Easy makes WalletHub's top 30 thanks to its eighth-place Christmas traditions and fun. New Orleans ranks 36th or worse in each of the four other key dimensions, including 63rd for generosity.

Cleveland beats out fellow Rust Belt cities like Baltimore, Buffalo and Columbus in large part because of its exceptional observance score. The Forest City ranks fifth in the nation in that category, trailing only Birmingham, Pittsburgh, Chicago and New York.