Why Atlanta is a top U.S. city for Valentine’s Day
If “all you need is love,” as the Beatles would have us believe, Americans wouldn’t be spending $26 billion this year on Valentine’s Day gifts.
The cost of romance isn’t the same for every lovebird, however. Depending on where you live, you might spend less than the national average of $193.
To determine the 2023′s best places for Valentine’s Day, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: budget, activities, gift accessibility and weather forecast.
The financial website then evaluated the four dimensions using 26 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions.
When the numbers were tallied, Atlanta finished with an overall score of 67.06, ranking it 13th. The Peach City was fifth for gift accessibility and 19th for activities. We didn’t fare as well for budget and weather, however, coming in 53rd and 67th, respectively.
In addition, we ranked:
- Fifth: florists per capita
- Sixth: greeting card stores and gift shops per capita
- Seventh: jewelry stores per capita
- Eighth: restaurants per capita
- 15th: chocolate shops per capita
- 45th: cost of a three course meal for two
According to a WalletHub Valentine’s Day survey, 23% of Americans expect to receive a less expensive gift this year, and 36% say eating out is too expensive.
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
