Analysis: Atlanta is best place in U.S. to go for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is about family, food and, well, being thankful. It’s also about shopping and getting ready for Christmas.
“That’s apparent from the fact that the next day is Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and a few days later is Cyber Monday, which brings scores of online deals,” WalletHub wrote in determining 2022′s Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving. “Last year, consumers spent a little over $300 per person during the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Luckily, though, it doesn’t cost too much to make a Thanksgiving feast for your family — around $53 on average for 10 people.
For its analysis, the financial website 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.
It then evaluated those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, each of which was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a Thanksgiving celebration.
Our picks this week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is your No. 1 source for things to do, see, make, buy and eat through the holidays. Here are our recommendations:
LISTEN: What’s on Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ holiday playlist?
DRINK: Here’s the holiday spirit Atlanta’s sipping this Christmas
DO: Seven places to show off your ice skating moves in and around Atlanta
VISIT: Full AJC holiday guide for things to do, buy and enjoy
For our full coverage of holiday events around metro Atlanta, check out the AJC’s Things to Do page.
When all the numbers were tallied, Atlanta finished on top with a score of 72.26. The Peach City ranked No. 1 for Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions, including taking the top spots for events per capita and holiday decoration shops per capita.
Atlantans are also grateful people, finishing No. 2 in the giving thanks dimension.
- 8th: Share of delayed flights near Thanksgiving holiday
- 20th: Affordability
- 21st: Volunteer opportunities per capita
- 22nd: Weather forecast
- 38th: Cost of Thanksgiving dinner
- 86th: Safety and accessibility
The South is apparently the place to be for Thanksgiving, claiming eight of the top 10 places. No. 2 overall was Orlando, followed by Las Vegas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Gilbert, Arizona; Tampa, Florida; Plano, Texas; Durham, North Carolina; Irving, Texas; and Miami, in that order.
Thanksgiving facts
- Average person’s spending over the five-day Thanksgiving period: $301
- Length of time the average American male would need to spend on the treadmill to burn the 4,500 calories consumed at the average Thanksgiving meal: 9 hours and 27 minutes
- Estimated amount Americans spend on Thanksgiving turkeys each year, with 46 million turkeys killed for the holiday: $835 million
- Amount of property loss caused by residential building fires each Thanksgiving: $26 million
- Share of people celebrating Thanksgiving who try to avoid having to talk politics at the dinner table: 66%
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.
