The 30 Best US Cities to Celebrate New Year's Eve

Traveling for New Year's Eve? WalletHub recently analyzed the 100 biggest cities in the U.S. based on more than two dozen key indicators of an epic New Year's Eve celebration across three dimensions-entertainment and food, costs and safety and accessibility-to determine which cities will be the best for ringing in 2019. Read on for the results.

No American city can compete with the Big Apple on New Year's Eve. The bucket list experience will likely cost you though as New York City is in high demand this time of year and ranks dead last in terms of overall costs. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining place to spend New Year's.

There's no West Coast city better than Los Angeles for celebrating the arrival of the New Year in 2019. L.A. ranks third for most luxury shops and gourmet food stores per capita and third overall for entertainment and food.

Atlanta is perhaps the best city for budget-conscious Americans to spend New Year's Eve as it ranks fourth for entertainment and food and a respectable 51st for costs. Only two other cities in the top 10 rank better in the latter dimension.

Southern California scores another top-five entry with San Diego ranking fourth overall. Keep in mind that America's Finest City rates slightly better than L.A. in terms of both costs and safety and accessibility.

Las Vegas ties New York City and San Francisco when it comes to nightlife opportunities on New Year's Eve. Foodies will love it too as Sin City also ranks fourth nationwide for most restaurants per capita.

The second-most affordable city in the top 10, Denver ranks inside the top 50 across all three key dimensions, including 11th for entertainment and food.

Unsurprisingly, the Theme Park Capital of the World cracks the top 10. Orlando ranks inside the top five for both most nightlife options and most restaurants per capita, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively.

New Year's Eve in Chicago is always special, whether you're enjoying a festive dinner cruise or taking in the eye-popping fireworks over Navy Pier.

The nation's capital ranks 10th for both New Year's Eve entertainment and food and safety and accessibility. Still, it ranks just 78th in terms of costs so don't expect your money to go quite as far.

Only New York City tops San Francisco in terms of New Year's Eve entertainment. However, like NYC, the expensive price tag is the biggest potential downside to ringing in 2019 in the Bay Area.

Miami falls just outside of the top 10 in large part because only three other cities rank worse in terms of New Year's costs. If money is no object, South Florida ranks sixth overall for entertainment and food and is a hard-to-beat NYE playground.

Don't wait until Mardi Gras to party in New Orleans. The Big Easy ranks 12th overall, according to WalletHub's research, despite boasting one of the nation's highest average prices per New Year's Eve party tickets.

Philadelphia trails New Orleans by just one spot in terms of entertainment and food and only one spot overall. It's also worth noting that Philly is 21st for safety and accessibility.

Easily one of the biggest surprises in WalletHub's top 15, Birmingham is the fifth-best American city for celebrating New Year's based on costs and isn't short on entertainment as it ranks a solid 22nd.

Seattle is the ninth-best New Year's destination based on entertaining festivities. Nonetheless, it's held back by sky-high costs, checking in at just 15th overall.

San Antonio cracks the top 20 for entertainment and food as well as costs, making it the premier Texas city to ring in the New Year based on WalletHub's analysis.

Nearby Dallas also fares pretty solid, ranking slightly better than the Alamo City for entertainment and food and a respectable top 30 for New Year's Eve costs.

Only Memphis ranks better than Louisville when it comes to the lowest price of a three-star hotel room on New Year's Eve. That said, this under-the-radar NYE destination will likely be kind to your wallet.

The Music City ranks pretty high thanks to its exceptional entertainment and food offerings. Only 14 other cities nationwide rank better across that dimension.

Virginia Beach ranks in the top six for both costs (third) and safety and accessibility (sixth). What's more, it's tied for first in terms of lowest average price per New Year's Eve party ticket and tied for fifth for three-star hotel room affordability.

Tampa is another fantastic New Year's Eve destination that won't break the bank. It ranks fourth overall for costs, including fifth for the lowest average price per New Year's Eve party ticket.

One of four Texas cities to make WalletHub's top 30, Houston ranks 22nd overall thanks to its stellar music, dancing, fireworks and other celebratory entertainment.

Portland is another top five New Year's Eve destination for cheap party tickets, ranking fourth in that category. The weird and wonderful Pacific Northwest city also ranks fifth for most nightlife options per capita.

Wine connoisseurs on a budget will want to head to Indianapolis as Indiana's capital city boasts the lowest average wine price in America.

Travelers seeking a safe, accessible and budget-friendly city to spend New Year's Eve should head to Pittsburgh. The Steel City is great for families and visitors might even luck out with some holiday snow.

If you can't get to New York City this New Year's Eve, Buffalo might just be the next best thing for visitors to the Empire State. After all, it ranks 21st for entertainment and food and will once again host the annual Statler City Ice Ball on December 31.

Each year, Austin plays host to some of the more anticipated parties, concerts and events of the year. It just so happens that many of them take place around New Year's Eve.

Cincinnati ranks consistently across all three key dimensions, coming in no better than 28th (costs) but no worse than 36th (safety and accessibility).

If you're looking to ring in the New Year someplace warm that won't wreak havoc on your wallet, consider Tucson, which ranks 14th overall for costs.

Minneapolis overall ranking reflects its wide array of entertainment and food offerings for New Year's revelers. Just beware the potentially brutal winter weather.