Dallas Climbs To #4 In WalletHub’s Thanksgiving Rankings

North Texas Dominates: Dallas #4, Irving #6, Plano #7 In National Thanksgiving List

Dallas has moved up one spot this year, ranked the No. 4 best city to celebrate Thanksgiving, according to WalletHub.

The website’s annual “Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving” ranks the largest 100 cities in the country in search of the best spots to enjoy turkey with family and friends. Dallas improved its position once again this year, moving up from No. 5 in 2024 and No. 17 in 2023.

“Thanksgiving is one of America’s most beloved holidays, giving families a chance to share a meal together and reflect on all the things for which they are grateful,” reads the study from WalletHub.

“To help Americans find the best places for gobbling up the Thanksgiving festivities, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on 18 key metrics.”

These 18 metrics fall into one of five key dimensions:

Thanksgiving Celebrations & Traditions

Pumpkin Patches per Capita
Google Search Interest for Thanksgiving Celebrations
Holiday Decoration Shops per Capita

Affordability

Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner
Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with Ratings of 4.5+ Stars
Lowest Price for a Three-Star Hotel Room for a Thanksgiving Holiday

Safety & Accessibility

Crime Rate
Perception of Safety (Safety walking alone during daylight/night)
Pedestrian Fatalities per Capita
DUI-Related Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Crashes around Thanksgiving per Capita
Share of Delayed Flights near Thanksgiving Holiday
Traffic Congestion

Giving Thanks

Volunteer Opportunities per Capita
Volunteer Hours per Capita
Charity Organizations per Capita
Share of Income Donated to Charity

Thanksgiving Weather Forecast

Thanksgiving Temperature vs. Average Temperature
Forecasted Thanksgiving Precipitation

Dallas ranked No. 2 in the country in the Celebrations & Traditions bucket, but came in No. 96 in the Safety & Accessibility ranking.

Despite the City’s impressive showing this year, it did not secure the number one spot in the state. That award went to San Antonio, which was ranked the best city in the entire country for celebrating.

Notably, however, North Texas as a whole was well represented in the top 10 rankings: