OHIO — The holidays can be hard on a person's wallet.
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are projected to spend at least $980 billion between Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 this year, which is up from $955.6 billion in 2023. In Ohio, the state's holiday sales are expected to increase by 1.1%, reaching $30.4 billion, according to the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.
However, the location you're spending the holidays in can also either make a big dent in your wallet, or save you so much needed dollars. According to WalletHub, a personal finance website, some Ohio cities are the most affordable areas to spend Christmas this year.
For its findings, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across five criteria: traditions and fun, observance, generousity, shipping and costs.
Coming in high on the list at No. 12 is Cincinnati, Cleveland at No. 46, Columbus at No. 79 and Toledo at No. 87.
The top cities for Christmas are as follows:
- Atlanta
- Pittsburgh
- Seattle
- Las Vegas
- Orlando
View the full report here.