Mariah Carey is not the only one defrost in preparation for the winter season: Houston has emerged as one of WalletHub's Top 10 Warm Weather Travel Destinations for 2024.
Each year, WalletHub analysts divide nearly 70 of America's largest metropolitan areas into two categories: top “hot” and “cold” destinations. The study rated each metro based on 37 factors, including travel costs, local costs, weather forecasts and safety.
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land scored 65.05 out of 100 possible points to earn the sunny sixth place nationally, moving up two spots from its previous No. 8 ranking. in 2023.
The top five warm-weather winter destinations are Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 1); San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Calif. (No. 2); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 3); Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 4); and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona.
The Houston metro ranks number one in travel costs and hassles nationwide, demonstrating a major preference for busy but efficient people. Houston Airport System. Houston's many attractions and relative affordability earned it 6th and 8th place in the respective rankings of “attractions” and “local costs” among the 69 U.S. metropolises.
Here is how Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land performed in the three remaining categories:
- #9 – Ranking Hot Weather Activities
- No. 23 – Weather ranking
- No. 33 – Security rank
As in previous years, the highest concentration of hot weather destinations was in Florida (10 metros), followed by Texas (nine metros), then California (eight metros).
Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio-New Braunfels slipped from 5th place in 2023 at No. 11 this year.
Atlanta, Georgia, once again ranked No. 1 on the list of best cold weather destinations for winter vacation, beating out New York, New York (No. 2), Washington, D.C. (No. 3) and Chicago, Illinois (No. 2). 4).
“Whether you like to relax during the winter season or prefer to escape to a sunny location, top travel destinations can cost as little as $200 to $300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, without a connection,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “In addition to being affordable, large cities also have an abundance of attractions suited to their weather conditions, as well as high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates.”
The top 10 warm weather destinations for winter vacations are:
- No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada
- No. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
- No. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
- No. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
- #5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
- No. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
- No. 7 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California
- No. 8 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
- No. 9 – Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina
- No. 10 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
For the purposes of the study, “cold” weather was determined to be less than or equal to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while “hot” weather was determined to be greater than or equal to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Both guidelines were analyzed based on 50-year average December temperatures.
The full report and its methodology are available at wallethub.com.
