Christmas can be a magical time of year, but it usually will cost you quite a chunk of change to experience all the season has to offer.
“Inflation is weighing heavily on consumers’ minds as well as their budgets this holiday season, but it doesn’t have to spoil the occasion,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said. “Whether you find yourself in what amounts to a humble modern-day manger or one of the best cities for budget-friendly Christmas celebrations, the most important thing is to spend quality time with loved ones and create lasting memories. By doing so, you can find joy and inspiration in the true spirit of the season.”
Lucky for us, Atlanta is the best city in the nation for Christmas celebrations, according an analysis by the financial website.
To determine the best places to celebrate the holiday, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across five key dimensions: traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping, and costs.
It then evaluated those dimensions using 28 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100 point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions.
When the numbers were tallied, Atlanta came out on top with an overall score of 62.31.
“The Big Peach is the best city for Christmas celebrations this year because of its superb shopping and activity opportunities. For example, Atlanta has plenty of options to help you prepare for Christmas celebrations, including a high number of bakeries and places to buy holiday decoration” WalletHub wrote.
“With the milder winter weather, it is easy to enjoy the city’s largest outdoor ice rink, located at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, which offers a festive holiday experience with twinkling holiday lights and gorgeous skyscrapers,” it continued. “Furthermore, the giving spirit can be felt by residents and visitors alike, with many opportunities throughout the city for donating time and money this holiday season.”
Among the five key dimensions, Atlanta finished:
- Traditions and fun: 8th
- Observance: 26th
- Generosity: 5th
- Shopping: 5th
- Costs: 70th
In addition, we ranked:
- First: Food banks per capita
- First: Number of affordable, high-quality restaurants
- 10th: Christmas tree farms per capita
- 13th: Online giving per capita
- 16th: Share of income donated to charity
- 30th: Percentage of Christian population
- 54th: Restaurant meal costs
Atlanta edged out Pittsburgh, which had an overall score of 62.07. Orlando, Las Vegas and San Francisco rounded out the top five, in that order.
The full rankings can be found on wallethub.com.
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