If you’re wondering which U.S. cities best manage to thread the needle between being both festive and affordable for Christmas, we have the answer for you. Personal-finance company WalletHub just released its report on 2025’s Best Places for Christmas Celebrations to help consumers know where they can maximize holiday enjoyment with a minimal budget, noting that holiday spending is projected to reach over $1 trillion this year. And Seattle was ranked at number three in the list of 100 U.S. cities!
Read on for all the details.
WalletHub ranked the best cities for Christmas by comparing the 100 largest U.S. cities across five areas: holiday traditions and fun, religious observance, generosity, shopping options, and overall costs. Across those five categories, Seattle was ranked #1 for generosity, #10 for traditions and fun, and #13 for shopping options. On the other hand, the Emerald City dropped in the rankings for costs and affordability (#68) and religious observance (#84).
Here’s the full ranking of the top 10 best cities for Christmas:
- Atlanta, GA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- St. Louis, MO
- Miami, FL
- Pittsburgh, PA
- New Orleans, LA
- Cincinnati, OH
According to WalletHub, Seattle ranks as the third-best city for Christmas celebrations largely due to its strong culture of generosity and accessibility during the holiday season. The city stands out with high levels of charitable giving, including the fifth-most online donations per capita, a large number of food banks, and a high share of residents involved in clothing-related charity work. Seattle also makes holiday shopping easy, ranking in the top 10 nationwide for shopping centers and gift shops per capita, while offering plenty of Christmas tree farms and bakeries. Additionally, celebrating Christmas in Seattle is relatively affordable, with three-star hotel rooms starting at $77 on Christmas Day and a wide selection of highly rated, budget-friendly restaurants.