Top US cities to celebrate Thanksgiving 2024: See if yours made the list

Thanksgiving is here and millions of Americans may be celebrating at home, or in another city to gather with loved ones.

In honor of Turkey Day, WalletHub released a report detailing the destinations that are the best for celebrating the day of gratitude.

The Miami-based company compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions, affordability, safety and accessibility, giving thanks and Thanksgiving weather forecast. 

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Within those, other categories included pumpkin patches per capita, holiday decoration shops per capita, cost of Thanksgiving dinner, crime rate, traffic congestion, volunteer opportunities per capita, Thanksgiving weather predictions and more. 

With many people traveling to see loved ones or for a festive Thanksgiving getaway, WalletHub said these cities were the best for their various offerings.  (iStock)

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the top ranked states show their enthusiasm for the food-filled holiday. 

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“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,” he said in a press release. 

Pulling data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, AmeriCorps and others, WalletHub revealed the top 10 cities to spend the Thanksgiving holiday. 

One of the key factors evaluated in the study was the ease of traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday — including flight delays and weather forecasts. (iStock)

Top 10 cities to spend Thanksgiving 2024

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10. Orlando

9. Louisville

8. Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, also ranked high on WalletHub’s list of top U.S. cities to celebrate Thanksgivigng. (iStock)

7. San Antonio

6. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

5. Dallas

Dallas, Texas, was near the top of the list for the best cities to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.  (iStock)

4. San Jose

3. San Francisco

2. Atlanta

1. San Diego

San Diego, California, ranked first on the list of the best cities to celebrate Thanksgiving 2024.  (iStock)

WalletHub revealed San Diego, California, as the best place to celebrate Thanksgiving this year for various reasons. 

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With an extremely high number of restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars and an abundance of pumpkin patches and holiday decoration shops, San Diego ranked high on the list. 

Lupo told Fox News Digital that San Diego has strong “traditions, favorable weather and an abundance of festive attractions such as high-rated restaurants and holiday decoration stores.”

The Southern California city also has a 1% chance of precipitation forecasted on Thanksgiving, according to WalletHub’s report. 

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Atlanta and San Francisco came in second and third place, respectively, for their travel factors.

WalletHub announced the best places to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2024.  (iStock)

Atlanta was noted for having only 10% of flights arriving to or departing from the airport delayed last November — the third-lowest percentage in the country. 

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San Francisco was praised for having one of the lowest prices for a three-star hotel room available on Thanksgiving at just $60 — making it the second cheapest in the country. 

Lupo said Lexington, Kentucky, and San Antonio, Texas, improved their standings in 2024 thanks to a large number of Thanksgiving activities and an emphasis on affordability. 

Cities near the bottom of the list included Anchorage, Alaska; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Bernardino, California; Hialeah, Florida; and Stockton, California, which came in last place. 

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“Stockton, California, ranks last primarily because of high costs of dining and accommodations, limited celebratory venues and a lack of volunteer opportunities,” Lupo said.

Brittany Kasko is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital.