The best US cities for Christmas celebrations, ranked

Wed, 12/20/2023 - 13:13

An ice skating rink in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Lori Kemp/Contributor/Getty Images

WalletHub released a report ranking the best US cities to celebrate Christmas in 2023.
Cities were ranked across 28 metrics including hotel room costs and gift shops per capita.
Atlanta took the top spot, followed by Pittsburgh and Orlando.

Cities across the US are celebrating the holiday season with Christmas trees, light displays, and holiday markets.

The personal-finance website WalletHub released a new report ranking the best cities to spend Christmas according to 28 metrics across five categories: traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping, and costs. By examining factors such as churches per capita, hotel room costs, local attractions, and gift shops per capita, WalletHub scored the US' largest 100 cities to determine their level of Christmas cheer.

Here are the 10 best cities for Christmas celebrations, according to WalletHub.

10. Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama, decorated for the holidays — Birmingham, Alabama.
Jonathon Black/Getty Images

Birmingham was ranked the highest in its observance of Christmas. Out of the 100 largest cities in the US, it received rankings of 55th in traditions and fun, 32nd in generosity, 33rd in shopping, and 20th in costs.

9. Miami, Florida

Christmas decorations in Miami, Florida. — Miami, Florida.
Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images

Miami features the most Christmas tree farms per capita of any city. Out of the 100 largest cities in the US, WalletHub ranked Miami sixth in traditions and fun, 24th in observance, 75th in generosity, 10th in shopping, and 88th in costs.

8. Chicago, Illinois

The official Chicago Christmas Tree — Chicago, Illinois.
Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty Images

Chicago made the top 10 in both the traditions and fun and generosity categories. The city was ranked 93rd in observance, 17th in shopping, and 40th in costs.

7. Seattle, Washington

A Christmas parade in Seattle, Washington. — Seattle, Washington.
Chin Hei Leung/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Seattle was found to have the third-highest rate of online giving per capita, contributing to its ranking as the most generous city. It was also ranked ninth in traditions and fun, 80th in observance, 13th in shopping, and 97th in costs.

6. St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis Blues ice crew in Christmas attire — St. Louis, Missouri.
Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images

St. Louis boasts the fourth-most toy stores and hobby shops per capita. It received rankings of 21st in traditions and fun, fifth in observance, 22nd in generosity, 14th in shopping, and 47th in costs.

5. San Francisco, California

Christmas in San Francisco, California — San Francisco, California.
Kimberly White/Getty Images for Macy's, Inc.

San Francisco has the second-highest rate of online giving per capita, putting it fourth in WalletHub's generosity ranking. It was also ranked 11th in shopping with the fourth-most gift shops per capita, and second in traditions and fun. It was ranked 68th in observance and 93rd in costs.

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

Barry Manilow performs in Las Vegas — Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jocelyn Prescod/NBC via Getty Images

Las Vegas cracked the top three in both traditions and fun and shopping with the second-highest number of gift shops, toy stores, and hobby shops per capita. It earned rankings of 44th in observance, 63rd in generosity, and 38th in costs.

3. Orlando, Florida

Christmas at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. — Orlando, Florida.
Gerardo Mora/Getty Images

As the third-best city for Christmas celebrations overall thanks to attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando features the most gift shops per capita and the third-most toy stores and hobby shops per capita. It scored fourth in traditions and fun, 10th in observance, 68th in generosity, second in shopping, and 81st in costs.

2. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With its numerous light shows, performances, and holiday markets and craft fairs, Pittsburgh was the runner-up in WalletHub's ranking of the best cities for Christmas. It earned top 10 rankings in observance, generosity, and shopping, and was ranked 23rd in traditions and fun and 28th in costs.

1. Atlanta, Georgia

Christmas lights on trees on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia — Atlanta, Georgia.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images

WalletHub's analysis awarded Atlanta the title of the best city for Christmas, citing its festive lights, large outdoor ice-skating rink in Centennial Olympic Park, and mild winter weather. It earned rankings of eighth in traditions and fun, 26th in observance, fifth in generosity, fifth in shopping, and 70th in costs.

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The best US cities for Christmas celebrations, ranked