If Thanksgiving was any indication, the Christmas travel period is poised to be a busy one.
However, some U.S. cities are better suited to impress travelers in the holiday spirit this time of year.
Personal finance website WalletHub recently compared the 100 biggest cities in the U.S. based on more than two dozen key factors for fun, festivities and affordability, including Christmas tree farms and gift shops per capita, online giving, restaurant meal costs and more.
Atlanta, Georgia comes out on top in 2024, ranking sixth for shopping and seventh for traditions and fun.
"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," according to WalletHub. "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."
For a better shot at a White Christmas, travelers may consider second-ranked Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
"Pittsburgh is a fairly religious city, with the eighth-highest share of the population that is Christian," WalletHub points out. "It also has the fifth-most churches per capita, so it’s easy to find a place to go for Christmas Eve or Christmas services."
People ice skating around a Christmas tree in Pittsburgh. (Photo Credit: Cole/Adobe)
When it comes to generosity, Seattle stands out, ranking third overall. "People in the city really embody the giving spirit of the holiday," says WalletHub. "Seattle has the fifth-most online donations per capita, along with an extremely large number of food banks. It also has the 11th-highest share of people who collect, make or distribute clothing for charity."
The Emerald City is also a budget-friendly option with the lowest price for a three-star hotel room on Christmas coming in at just $62.
Las Vegas and Orlando round out the top five best cities for Christmas in 2024.
The Top 10 US Cities for Christmas 2024
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Seattle, Washington
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Orlando, Florida
- San Francisco, California
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Miami, Florida
- Chicago, Illinois
- New York, New York
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