Houston is moving closer to claiming a seat at the head of the table on a new list of the best cities to go for Thanksgiving, a new report has declared.

Experts at personal finance website WalletHub examined the 100 largest U.S. cities using 18 relevant metrics to determine the best places to "gobble up Thanksgiving festivities at a reasonable price." Cities were also ranked across five main categories: celebrations and traditions; affordability; safety and accessibility; weather forecast; and a "giving thanks" rank.

Houston moved up into the No. 7 spot for 2026 after ranking 12th nationally in 2025.

Meanwhile, the top three best places to visit for Thanksgiving are Dallas (No. 1), Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2), and San Antonio (No. 3). This is the first time Dallas has landed in the top spot; the city previously ranked No. 4 in 2025.

Out of the five main categories, Houston performed best on the list of the most affordable cities for dining out during the Thanksgiving holiday, landing at No. 6 nationally. The city also ranked 8th for its celebrations and traditions, largely due to its numerous holiday happenings that take over in November and December.

Here's how the city ranked in the three remaining categories:

• No. 15 – Giving thanks
• No. 19 – Weather forecast
• No. 96 – Safety and accessibility

"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.

Other Texas cities that earned spots on the list include Plano (No. 12), Arlington (No. 17), Austin (No. 19), Lubbock (No. 28), Corpus Christi (No. 36), Fort Worth (No. 47), Irving (No. 55), Garland (No. 67), Laredo (No. 71), and El Paso (No. 80).

The top 10 best places to go for Thanksgiving in 2026 are:

• No. 1 – Dallas
• No. 2 – Atlanta, Georgia
• No. 3 – San Antonio
• No. 4 – Louisville, Kentucky
• No. 5 – Las Vegas
• No. 6 – Scottsdale, Arizona
• No. 7 – Houston
• No. 8 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
• No. 9 – Boston
• No. 10 – Chesapeake, Virginia