Cincinnati is home to some of the jolliest people in the country, according to a new study.
The Queen City ranked No. 10 out of 100 cities in WalletHub’s 2025 report on the Best Cities for Christmas. Claiming the top five spots were Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas and Orlando. Neighboring cities like Indianapolis ranked 40th, Louisville 48th, Lexington 68th and Columbus ranked 76th. Dayton did not make the top 100 rankings.
To figure out the merriest of the cities, WalletHub looked at 28 metrics across five key dimensions, including Traditions & Fun, Observances, Generosity, Shopping and Costs. When it comes to Cincinnati, we ranked 22nd in Traditions & Fun, 15th in Observances, 54th in Generosity, 17th in Shopping and 31st in Costs.
WalletHub also highlighted some of Cincinnati’s rankings within the 28 metrics. We were No. 1 for the number of affordable, high-quality restaurants we have, plus sixth for restaurant meal costs.
While I understand there is data that goes into these rankings, I want to take a moment to once again delve into what I believe makes Cincinnati such a special place at Christmas.
For holiday-themed traditions and fun, Cincinnati has plenty of ways to make merry for those who celebrate. We’ve got ice rinks galore — from the UC Health ice rink at the new Elm Street Plaza to Fifty West Brewing and Summit Park, plus plenty of Christkindlmarkts and holiday markets where you can shop and buy from local businesses and artisans.
There are also incredible light displays at the Cincinnati Zoo for the Festival of Lights, the Pyramid Hill Lights, Nights of Lights at the Clermont County Fairgrounds and many more. For those who want to slow down and connect with nature during this season, there’s Light in the Forest; or you could have a good, old-fashioned Christmas at the farm with Santa at Great Parks’ Holidays on the Farm. And for those who enjoy a little drunken revelry, we also have SantaCon and the Ugly Christmas Sweater Bar Crawl. Something for everyone.
But let’s not forget the real heart behind the holiday and Christmas seasons: taking care of one another. On the generosity side, while Cincinnati ranked in the bottom half of the cities, I’ve personally seen the work that goes into making the holidays special for those who don’t have as much as others — from Good Plates Eatery making full Christmas dinners and handing them out at no charge, no questions asked, to the number of toy drives at local churches, organizations and small businesses and the Freestore Foodbank’s fundraising and distribution efforts.
And let’s not forget how local restaurants and businesses rallied this November to ensure everyone would be fed when SNAP benefits were paused during the government shutdown. While data doesn’t lie, sometimes it doesn’t present the whole picture, and I’d like to continue believing Cincinnati is full of some of the most generous people you’ll meet.
I hope you take my small observations and heartfelt sentiments with you from here throughout the rest of the year (and hopefully into the next). Maybe do something kind for your neighbor; donate some of your time and money to a good cause; take a moment to respectfully talk to and listen to someone who isn’t like you and has a different perspective. It doesn’t have to be something big. The small kindnesses are the ones that make a difference over time, and that’s what Christmas is all about, Cincinnati.