Best States For A Holiday Vacation

Last Updated: Dec 5^th, 2023

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The holiday season is synonymous with quality time, with many households hunkering down in cozy surroundings while temperatures outside plummet. Others decide to be a bit more adventurous, embarking on vacations to various parts of the country. Whether reconnecting with friends and family or simply looking for a well-earned respite at the end of a hectic year, trips over the holidays have a unique appeal.

But what do travelers in the heart of winter want from a vacation? Planning the perfect holiday excursion involves a number of factors, from shimmering snowfall and comfortable accommodation, to vibrant holiday markets and bustling shopping malls. For any sports fan there’s also the possibility of fitting in a trip to watch their favorite team, with full schedules in the NFL, NBA, NHL and other sports over the holiday season. The American festive period is not only about decking the halls, but also showing your loyal support!

The research team at Gambling.com took a break from writing their list for Santa to rank the best states for a holiday vacation. This nationwide ranking was done by analyzing four different data points to create a Final Holiday Vacation Score for each state. These data points are: snow likelihood, winter/holiday/Christmas markets, shopping malls, and accommodation (availability & affordability). The scores for the winter market and shopping malls data points were calculated per 10,000 square miles, so that larger states didn’t get an unfair advantage.

Where Should You Embark On A Winter Break?

After double checking everything and separating who was naughty and nice, Ohio is the best state to have a holiday vacation. The Buckeye State recorded strong scores in all four parts of the study, with the highest coming in the shopping mall concentration and snow likelihood sections. This all culminated in a Final Holiday Vacation Score of 77.0 out of 100.

Snow-hio: Buckeye State Of Holiday Cheer!

Indiana isn’t too far behind in runner-up (#2), with a final score of 74.4. Like the leader, the land of Hoosiers performed well in all four categories, with the highest score coming from its concentration of winter markets. Indiana also has some of the more affordable accommodation in the country, but this data point rating is brought down by its only middling range of options for visitors.

In #3 is Pennsylvania. The Keystone State’s average rating across the four graded sections resulted in a Final Holiday Vacation Score of 73.7 (out of a possible 100). Their highest score came in the shopping malls category. Although many people now do their shopping online, others still like to go and physically choose and purchase their items, especially at this more traditional time of year!

Illinois (71.6) and New Jersey (69.9) are in #4 and #5, respectively. The Prairie State performs above the national average in all four categories, while the Garden State has the country’s highest score in the shopping malls category, while also being near the summit when it comes to winter markets. The latter’s final overall score is brought down by weaker showings in the other two sections.

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At the other end of the scale, some states appear to be poor options for a vacation over the holiday season - based on the factors measured in this study.

At the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) of this is Nevada, with a Final Vacation Score of just 16.8 out of 100, making it the worst state for a holiday vacation. The driest state in the U.S. unsurprisingly has the nation’s lowest score in terms of snow likelihood, and it doesn’t perform much better in the other three categories.

New Mexico is next, as the 2nd worst state for a trip over the holiday season. The Land Of Enchantment gets pass marks for its accommodation and snow probability, but ranks near the bottom when it comes to its concentration of winter markets and shopping malls. This all results in a final score of 27.8.

Completing our inverted podium is Alaska, with a Final Holiday Vacation Score of 30.6. The Last Frontier is projected to receive some of the most snow in the U.S. over the holiday season, but the state performs much worse in the other categories, with the lowest national showings for shopping malls and winter markets - which is unsurprising given its population density and untouched wilderness.

Methodology

Gambling.com decided to rank the Best States For A Holiday Vacation by ranking these four data points:

Accommodation Availability & Affordability: Split into two subsections, with both contributing equally to each state’s data point score: The number of two-room accommodation options on Booking.com for two adults and two children (aged 10 & 12 years old), from 12/15/2023-12/17/2023. The % of the above Booking.com search results that are $200 per night or less.
Snow Likelihood: The number of projected snowy days for each state, taken from Weather25.
Winter/Holiday/Christmas Markets: The number of these markets in each state, per 10,000 square miles - with statistics from Christmas Market Guide & US Census Bureau.
Shopping Malls/Centers: The number of shopping malls/centers in each state, per 10,000 square miles - with statistics from Malls In America & US Census Bureau.

All four data points were measured out of 100 using the PERCENTRANK formula, and an average was found to create a "Final Holiday Vacation Score." States were ranked from highest to lowest final score - calculated to one number after the decimal point.

All information was collected and correct on Dec. 1, 2023.