Mariah Carey isn't the only one defrosting in preparation for the winter season: Dallas-Fort Worth has warmed up as one of WalletHub's top three best warm weather travel destinations for 2024.
Every year, WalletHub's analysts divide nearly 70 of the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas into two categories: the top "warm" and "cold" weather destinations. The study evaluated every metro based on 37 factors, including travel costs, local costs, weather predictions, and safety.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington earned a score of 68.08 out of 100 possible points to claim the sunny No. 3 spot nationally, finally breaking a three-year stronghold as No. 4, which began in 2021.
DFW landed right behind Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 1), and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California (No. 2), and overtook Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 4). Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona rounded out the top five.
The North Texas metro ranked No. 2 in the national "weather" and "travel costs and hassles" categories, showing major favorability towards DFW Airport and the region's almost year-round sunshine. The metro's relative affordability earned it No. 8 in the "local costs" ranking out of all 69 U.S. metros.
Here's how Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington performed in the remaining three categories:
- No. 12 – Attractions rank
- No. 13 – Warm weather activities rank
- No. 28 – Safety rank
As in previous years, the highest concentration of top warm weather destinations was in Florida (10 metros), followed by Texas (nine metros), then California (eight metros).
Besides DFW and Austin, the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 in 2024 was Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 6), as San Antonio-New Braunfels slipped from No. 5 in 2023 to No. 11 this year.
Atlanta, Georgia ranked No. 1 once again on the list of best cold weather destinations for winter vacations, outdoing New York City, New York (No. 2), Washington, D.C. (No. 3), and Chicago, Illinois (No. 4).
"Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates."
The top 10 best 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
- No. 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 purpose of the study, "cold" weather was determined to be less than or equal to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while "warm" weather was greater than or equal to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Both guidelines were analyzed based on the 50-year average December temperatures.
The full report and its methodology can be found on wallethub.com.
