Boston ranks among best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving - and tops New England

""The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history. Other features make individual cities stand out; for example, San Antonio has great weather, Atlanta has a fantastic track record for on-time flights and Virginia Beach has surprisingly affordable accommodations," said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo."

"The study ranked the 100 best U.S. cities for Thanksgiving based on factors like volunteer rates, weather, safety, and Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions. Boston came in 18th overall - and was the only New England city to make the list. Boston's vibrant restaurant scene helped secure its spot in the top 20. The city ranked No. 1 in the country for the number of restaurants with Yelp ratings of at least 4.5 stars or higher, giving those spending the holiday in the city plenty of dining options for a Thanksgiving meal or weekend outing."

"Boston also scored well for "Giving Thanks," a measure which included volunteer hours per capita, charities per capita, and income donated to charities. The report also shared that the average American spends $235 over the five-day Thanksgiving period - and 71% aim to avoid talking politics at the dinner table."

A study ranked 100 U.S. cities for Thanksgiving using factors including volunteer rates, weather, safety, and holiday celebrations. Boston placed 18th overall and was the only New England city on the list. The city's restaurant scene boosted its ranking; Boston ranked No. 1 nationally for the number of restaurants with Yelp ratings of at least 4.5 stars, offering plentiful dining options for holiday visitors. Boston also scored highly on a "Giving Thanks" metric that measured volunteer hours per capita, charities per capita, and income donated to charities. San Antonio topped the list. Seventy-one percent of Americans aim to avoid talking politics at the dinner table, and the average American spends $235 over the five-day Thanksgiving period.

Read at Boston.com