Dallas is taking its place at the head of the Thanksgiving table. A new report from personal finance website WalletHub has named the city the best place to go for Thanksgiving in 2026, ahead of Atlanta, San Antonio, and 97 other major U.S. cities.
Released on November 10, the ranking compared the country’s 100 largest cities across 18 metrics, including Thanksgiving dinner costs, delayed flights, volunteer opportunities, and forecasted precipitation. Dallas climbed from fourth place in 2025 to claim this year’s top spot.
Whether you’re welcoming out-of-town relatives or staying close to home, here’s what earned Dallas its latest holiday bragging rights.
Why was Dallas named the best city for Thanksgiving?
According to WalletHub, Dallas is particularly well suited to people who would rather leave the Thanksgiving cooking to someone else. The report highlighted the city’s abundance of restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars, alongside its selection of holiday decoration shops.
“Dallas is the best place to go for Thanksgiving this year, and it’s an especially good place for people who want to dine out,” the report states.
Local enthusiasm also played a role. WalletHub found that Dallas residents search Google for Thanksgiving-related terms more than people in most other cities. Together, those factors helped Dallas secure No. 2 in the study’s celebrations and traditions category.
The city also placed ninth for Thanksgiving weather and had the 25th-most charities per capita, giving residents opportunities to work some giving back into their holiday plans. The weather placement reflects the study’s forecast-based assessment—not a guarantee of sunshine on Thanksgiving Day.
How did the study rank the cities?
WalletHub assessed destinations across five categories:
- Celebrations and traditions
- Affordability
- Safety and accessibility
- Giving thanks
- Weather forecast
The comparison considered everything from the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner to travel disruption and opportunities to volunteer. It’s a broad holiday ranking, rather than a verdict on which city serves the best turkey or offers the cheapest getaway.
Dallas’s overall win also doesn’t mean it led every category. The city ranked 11th for affordability but 72nd for safety and accessibility, according to reporting on the study.
The 10 best cities for Thanksgiving in 2026
Texas claimed three spots in the national top 10, with San Antonio and Houston joining Dallas:
- Dallas, Texas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- San Antonio, Texas
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Houston, Texas
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Chesapeake, Virginia
Other North Texas cities made the list, too
Dallas wasn’t the only local destination to earn a place in the ranking. Plano finished just outside the top 10 at No. 12, followed by Arlington at No. 17. Fort Worth ranked 47th, Irving placed 55th, and Garland came in 67th.
For Dallas, though, this year’s result brings the biggest bragging rights: the top overall spot and a timely reason to feel good about celebrating close to home.
You can explore the complete rankings and methodology in WalletHub’s Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving report.
