Austin Ranks Fourth in National Winter Travel Study

The Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metropolitan area has secured the fourth position in a national ranking of winter travel destinations for warm-weather lovers. The placement appears in WalletHub's report titled Best Winter Holiday Destinations, which evaluated 69 U.S. metro areas.

The study assigned scores based on six specific dimensions: travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, warm-weather activities, and safety. Las Vegas, Nevada, claimed the top spot for warm climates, while Atlanta, Georgia, led the category for cold weather destinations.

Austin performed strongest in its travel logistics and climate metrics. The metro ranked fourth nationwide for travel costs and hassles. Its winter weather conditions placed it sixth in the U.S. The region also recorded the seventh-lowest local costs, a metric that includes the price of a three-star hotel room, the average cost of a two-person meal, taxi fares, and the general cost of living.

Other categories produced lower rankings for the city. Austin placed ninth nationally for its attractions. It ranked 15th for both warm-weather activities and overall safety.

Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, noted that top destinations often offer flights from major U.S. cities for between $200 and $300 without connections. He stated that these cities combine affordability with attractions that match their weather patterns, quality dining, and relatively low crime rates.

Texas holds four spots in the top ten list for warm-weather winter travel. Dallas-Fort Worth ranks third, Houston is sixth, and San Antonio is ninth. Four additional Texas metros appear further down the list: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 26, Brownsville-Harlingen at 31, Corpus Christi at 33, and Beaumont-Port Arthur at 35.

The complete top ten list for warm-weather destinations includes Las Vegas, San Diego, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Phoenix, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, San Antonio, and San Francisco.