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Don’t let the pressure of creating the perfect Christmas bring you down this holiday season… unless it’s down to Georgia.
A WalletHub study on the “best cities for Christmas” found the Peach State’s capital to be the best place in America to show off your festive spirit.
But what made Atlanta special enough to take home the title while going up against 99 other major U.S. cities? WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe spoke to FOX Business to explain.
“[Atlanta] did really well when it came to their generosity and their shopping options,” she said. “It’s kind of a contradiction when you think about it, but they tend to be very generous and get into that giving spirit that goes along with the holidays, and there’s also a lot of opportunities to do that last-minute shopping – to take advantage of their ample shopping opportunities in Atlanta.”
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Atlanta was found to be the best city for Christmas in 2023, according to WalletHub. (iStock / iStock)
According to a WalletHub report, Atlanta beat out the other cities according to the study’s “five key dimensions,” including “traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping and costs.” WalletHub gave each city each a total overall score along with ranks for each of the metrics to gauge just how holiday-friendly they are.
Using 28 metrics, including ones like “Christmas Tree Farms per Capita,” “Restaurant Meal Costs,” and “Cost of Three-Star Hotel Room,” each metric was “graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for celebrating Christmas.”
Observance was worth 30 total points, followed by generosity, costs and traditions and fun at 20 points apiece and shopping at 10 points.
The report echoed Happe’s remark that The Big Peach’s first-place ranking comes from 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 decorations,” it explained.
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WalletHub highlighted Atlanta, Georgia’s Centennial Olympic Park as a hotspot to visit during the holidays with its ice skating rink and city view. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Plus Atlanta’s milder climate – with average highs in the low 50s and average lows in the 30s with low chances of snow – offers a more pleasant outdoor experience than chillier places might.
One major hot spot highlighted in WalletHub’s report is Centennial Olympic Park in the heart of downtown, an homage to the city’s role as host of the 1996 Olympic Games, surrounded by skyscrapers and within walking distance of the World of Coca-Cola Museum, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Aquarium and several other attractions integral to downtown.
The park also boasts a seasonal ice skating rink for visitors to enjoy.
Overall, Atlanta ranked eighth in traditions and fun, fifth in both shopping and generosity, and 26th in observance, but came in on the lower end of the spectrum in one key area – costs.
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PPG Place Skating Rink in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh came in second behind Atlanta, Georgia in WalletHub’s ‘best cities for Christmas’ 2023 list. (Lori Kemp / Contributor / Getty Images)
“The key things that we looked at in terms of cost that were associated with the costs of holidays and Christmas were the cost of a three-star hotel room, the restaurant meal costs, the number of affordable, high quality restaurants, the average price for an alcoholic beverage such as beer or wine, and the average price for two tickets to the theater since that’s such a popular thing around the holidays,” Happe explained.
“What sets Atlanta back as far as cost goes is, they have a really high price for alcohol. They ranked 88th out of 100.”
Happe also told FOX Business that, on the flip side, Atlanta ranked at the top for the number of affordable, highquality restaurants.
With chronic inflation leaving many Americans concerned and pessimistic going into 2024, cost undoubtedly ranks among the highest priorities for holiday festivities.
National Retail Federation data estimates the 2023 holiday season will reach “record spending levels,” so who wouldn’t want to shave off some of the cost?
With Atlanta coming in at 70 on the list, holiday travelers mostly concerned about cost could opt for one of the list’s more budget-friendly cities like Wichita, Kansas, which ranked at number one for cost, followed by Tulsa, Oklahoma at number two, Colorado Springs, Colorado at three, Henderson, Nevada at four, and Fresno, California at five.
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Happe’s overall message for the holiday season, however, is to prioritize making memories and spending quality time with family and friends.
“Inflation is weighing heavily on consumers’ minds as well as their budgets this holiday season, but it doesn’t have to spoil the occasion. 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,” Happe said, per WalletHub’s report.
In overall rankings across all metrics, behind Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Las Vegas and San Francisco comprise the top five on the list. Atlanta also claimed the top spot in 2021 and claimed second place behind Seattle last year, according to Happe.
