Ahead of a winter that will experience colder than usual weather across most of the country, according to the latest forecast from the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the personal-finance website WalletHub released 2022’s Best Winter Holiday Destinations report.
Focusing on cost and convenience rather than scenic beauty, WalletHub compared nearly 70 of the largest U.S. metro areas grouped by warm and cold weather. Each destination was analyzed based on 37 key metrics, primarily the expense and hassle of traveling to each location but also on other indicators, such as weather forecasts, safety, and variety of activities.
Here’s a quick glimpse at some of the report’s most interesting findings:
| Best Cold Destinations for Winter Travel |
| 1. New York, NY |
| 2. Atlanta, GA |
| 3. Washington, DC |
| 4. Chicago, IL |
| 5. St. Louis, MO |
| 6. Cincinnati, OH |
| 7. Kansas City, MO |
| 8. Boston, MA |
| 9. Albuquerque, NM |
| 10. Philadelphia, PA |
| Best Warm Destinations for Winter Travel |
| 1. Las Vegas, NV |
| 2. Austin, TX |
| 3. San Diego, CA |
| 4. Dallas, TX |
| 5. San Antonio, TX |
| 6. Phoenix, AZ |
| 7. Houston, TX |
| 8. San Francisco, CA |
| 9. Los Angeles, CA |
| 10. Charleston, SC |
Best vs. Worst
- The average flight to a popular cold winter destination costs $396.17, lasts three hours and 30 minutes, and has 0.28 connections. In comparison, the average flight to a popular warm winter destination costs $521.74, lasts five hours and 17 minutes, and has 0.57 connections.
- Among cold destinations, Omaha, NE, has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $55, which is 2.4 times lower than Worcester, MA, the city with the highest at $133.
- Among warm destinations, Houston has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $40, which is 5.2 times lower than Honolulu, the city with the highest at $208.
- Among cold destinations, Chicago has the most restaurants (per square foot of population), 6, which is 6.3 times more than in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the city with the fewest at 0.984751.
- Among warm destinations, Orlando has the most restaurants (per square root of population), 7, which is 29.0 times more than in Deltona, FL, the city with the fewest at 0.250773.
