Valentine’s Day is upon us, and it’s important to figure out the best place to take that special loved one to celebrate.
Luckily, WalletHub has provided a list of the best cities for Valentine’s Day to help couples figure out where they should plan to go.
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“Depending on where you go and what you do, a sweet evening can be inexpensive and still have the same quality,” the study reads. “You just need to be in the right place with the right budget.”
The ranking examines factors like weather, local activities, costs and gift accessibility to determine which cities are best suited to ring in the romance.
More specifically, the study breaks down those four factors as follows:
- BUDGET (50%) — Includes the cost of a three-course meal for two; prevalence of affordable 4.5+ star restaurants; average movie ticket price; average beverage price; beauty salon costs; massage costs; taxi-fare costs; and lowest price for a three-star hotel room.
- ACTIVITIES (20%) — Includes restaurants per capita; diversity of restaurants; cafes per capita; number of attractions; nightlife options per capita; walkability; amusement and entertainment; and share of romantic hotels.
- GIFT ACCESSIBILITY (20%) — Includes jewelry stores per capita; florists per capita; chocolate shops per capita; greeting-card stores and gift shops per capita; wellness and spa centers per capita; and the Google search index for “Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas.”
- WEATHER FORECAST (10%) — Includes the difference between forecasted and normal temperatures on Valentine’s Day, and the forecasted precipitation for Valentine’s Day.
Topping the list is San Francisco, which scored high for cost-effectiveness and the number of activities available for couples in the area.
“San Francisco is the best place for celebrating Valentine’s Day, in part due to the fact that it has the highest prevalence of affordable restaurants, florists and second-highest gift shops rated at least 4.5 stars. That covers dinner and presents – but the city is also perfect for dates, with an extremely high number of attractions.
If you want to take a romantic stroll on Valentine’s Day, you’ll benefit from the fact that San Francisco ranks second among the most walkable cities. And for those who like to drink, it surprisingly has one of the lowest costs for beer and wine, when adjusted for the median household income.
Even if you’re just a new couple and plan to go with some basic cards and chocolate to celebrate, the Golden Gate City has the fourth-highest card shops and chocolatiers per capita.”
WalletHub, "Best Places for Valentine's Day"
While Florida didn’t place in the top 10 of this list, the state’s top pick isn’t too far off — the City Beautiful itself at No. 15. Orlando performed poorly when it came to its weather forecast and costs, though it was among the best on the ranking in terms of things to do and the accessibility of Valentine’s presents.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Florida cities included on WalletHub’s list are as follows:
| Rank | City | Score | Budget Rank | Activities Rank | Gift Accessibility Rank | Weather Forecast Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Orlando | 65.00 | 66 | 4 | 4 | 91 |
| 20 | Miami | 62.01 | 88 | 1 | 1 | 58 |
| 29 | Tampa | 59.83 | 64 | 21 | 20 | 67 |
| 47 | St. Petersburg | 54.05 | 50 | 35 | 48 | 67 |
| 60 | Jacksonville | 51.04 | 71 | 57 | 41 | 53 |
| 98 | Hialeah | 32.01 | 97 | 84 | 69 | 49 |
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