Austin is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.
Austin ranked No. 30 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12.
The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.
The category that Austin ranked the highest in was the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 4), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 69). Other categories that determined Austin's overall ranking were the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 39), the city's relative affordability (No. 39), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 59).
Austin restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day meals, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from to-go meals, dine-in experiences, and desserts abound.
"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
By Thanksgiving on November 28, Austin will be fully decked out for the December holidays. Austinites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. The Texas Capital certainly goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.
Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas (No. 5) and San Antonio (No. 7) were the among the top 10 best cities to celebrate Thanksgiving, while Houston ranked No. 15.
San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.
