As shocking as this may sound, 2023 is almost over. And it’s time to seriously start thinking about how you’re going to ring in the new year. Don’t stress if you don’t have plans yet for New Year’s Eve, because WalletHub has a few suggestions.
The website compared the 100 biggest cities across the United States to help everyone find an affordable, and still ridiculously fun, place to welcome 2024. To find out which cities were top-notch choices, WalletHub compared each destination across 26 indicators, including the legality of fireworks, the number of nightlife options per capita, food affordability, and even down to the weather forecast for Dec. 31.
Once the data sets were complete, WalletHub named Orlando, Florida, the place to be for New Year’s Eve fun.
“Whether you want to experience the holiday at a breathtaking destination like Disney World or just at a house or hotel, Orlando has you covered,” WalletHub wrote in its findings. “The city ranks first when it comes to nightlife options and affordable restaurants rated 4.5+ stars, so you can enjoy some fun and a good meal before 2024 arrives.”
WalletHub additionally gave Orlando high marks thanks to its spectacular fireworks shows over New Year’s Eve.
“Orlando has some of the longest fireworks displays in the country, and consumer fireworks are legal, so people can set up their own shows,” it explained. “In addition, the city has the most party supply stores and second highest number of gourmet specialty-food stores in the nation (per the square root of the population).”
Coming in a rather close second place is San Diego, a city known for its gorgeous weather all year round and its love of a good time.
“San Diego is known for its mild weather, and it’s the place to be if you want clear skies so you can appreciate an outdoor get-together and fireworks show,” WalletHub wrote. “The city has the lowest chance of precipitation on New Year’s Eve.”
And, perhaps unsurprisingly, New York City came in third. Despite the supremely high prices one will find at restaurants and hotels at this time of year, its famed ball drop was enough to keep it at the top of the list.
“This event is attended in person by around a million people and watched live by around a billion,” WalletHub explained. “What stops New York from being the best city overall is the price – celebrations are a lot less affordable than in the top two cities.”
Rounding out the top 10 cities to make the list are Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C., meaning really, you’re likely to find a city close enough to you that travel for New Year’s Eve.
Want to see how the city closest to you ranked? Check out all of WalletHub’s findings at wallethub.com.
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