NYE News

Apparently it sucks to spend New Year's Eve in Houston, or just about anywhere in Texas

Cheering in the New Year at New Year's Eve at Local Pour January 2015

Where will you be ringing in the New Year?

Photo by © Chinh Phan/Fotowerk Group

If you’re wondering what to do this New Year’s Eve, we have a few suggestions on where exactly you should head — and where you should avoid. According to a recent WalletHub report, Houston ranks a dismal No. 85 out of 100 for best places to ring in the New Year.

No Texas cities showed up that great on the list, although Austin came in at No. 40 and Dallas at No. 44. Even tourist mecca San Antonio fared so-so at No. 65. Other Texas cities came in even worse than Houston, with Fort Worth (No. 93), Arlington (No. 95), and Garland (No. 98).

For the report, WalletHub’s analysts compared America’s 100 most populated cities across 20 key metrics. The data set ranges from legality of fireworks to average price of a New Year’s Eve party ticket and forecasted precipitation for December 31.

Houston did middling on cost (No. 51), surprisingly poorly on entertainment & food (No. 67), and near the bottom of the list on safety and accessiblity (No. 95.)

Of course, with Buffalo, New York at No. 5; Omaha, Nebraska at No. 22; and Baton Rouge at No. 33; it's hard to take a list like this that seriously. On the other hand, there's no city-wide New Year's Eve celebration in the nation's fourth largest city, so perhaps they're on to something.

San Francisco ranked best for most nightlife options and best luxury shopping, while Miami was No. 1 for most restaurants. The cheapest place to party, based on the price of a NYE party ticket? Durham, North Carolina.

Overall, though, the No. 1 best place for New Year's Eve is Orlando. And definitely stay away from Newark, New Jersey (unless you’re heading to NYC), and North Las Vegas, which were Nos. 99 and 100, respectively.

-------------------

CultureMap Houston editor-in-chief Clifford Pugh contributed to this article.

reports

santa's favorite city

Houston makes the nice list of top 5 most festive U.S. cities in 2024

Photo courtesy of City Lights

undefined

Houston's unending love for the winter holidays is shining bright this year, as the city was just declared the No. 4 most festive city in America for 2024.

Home services provider Thumbtack's recently released report compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states between October 2023 to October 2024 to reveal its list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Houston previously held the coveted No. 3 spot in 2023 before slipping to No. 4 this year. The city previously ranked No. 4 in 2022.

Houstonians have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the new Coca Cola Classic Christmas, Memorial Park's Holiday Lights, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Austin leading the nation as the No.1 most festive city for the third year in a row, and Dallas ranking just one spot behind as No. 2. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Houstonians will have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme. But that's to be expected from one of the top 10 best warm-weather travel destinations nationwide.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends Houstonians avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

austin dallas houston san antonio rankings holidays christmas reports