Why Minnesota ISN’T One of the Best Cold-Weather Places to Visit

If anyone were to ask me 'Where is one of the best places to visit in the winter?' I would always say Minnesota. Really, anywhere in Minnesota depending on what you want to do. However, a recent study doesn't agree! They actually don't even have us in the top 10.

This totally shocked me until I read WHY we aren't in the top 10 and it makes sense.

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The study was done by WalletHub and they looked at the top 70 major metro areas. They also split them up into warm-weather places and cold-weather places. Because some people want to travel TO the cold in the winter and others want to travel AWAY from it.

Let's check out the rankings and then we'll get into why it makes sense that Minnesota isn't in the top 10.

Top 10 Best Cold-Weather Places to Visit in 2023

10.  Boston, MA

9. Philadelphia, PA

8. Kansas City, MO

7. St. Louis, MO

6. Cincinnati, OH

5. Denver, CO

4. New York, NY

3. Chicago, IL

2. Washington DC

1. Atlanta, GA

The Minneapolis/St. Paul area came in at number 11.

Also, it threw me off that the Atlanta, GA area is the best cold-weather destination. There's no way they get cold enough to be considered a 'cold-weather place'. But after a quick Google search, turns out that they can get into the 30s during the winter. I didn't know that!

Top 10 Best Warm-Weather Places to Visit in 2023

10. Los Angeles, CA

9. Phoenix, AZ

8. Houston, TX

7. San Francisco, CA

6. Charleston, SC

5. San Antonio, TX

4. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

3. Austin, TX

2. San Diego, CA

1. Las Vegas, NV

So how did they determine these rankings?

WalletHub's main priority when creating these rankings was which ones were the best for the wallet. Which destinations are the most affordable options? But they also took into account the number of different activities available in the area for a variety of people, the weather predictions for the 2023-2024 winter, and safety.

When they broke it down, flying to Minneapolis/St. Paul was the cheapest option out of all of the cold-weather destinations. But when it came to other costs in the area, the number of different attractions, and cold-weather activities we weren't at the top. It surprised me a little but we're up against places like Denver, CO which is fantastic for cold-weather activities, so it makes sense.

They also made clear that most other rankings of the best winter destinations take the 'scenic quality' heavily into account. WalletHub, however, did not look at that aspect. I bet if it was taken into account Minneapolis/St. Paul would have ranked much higher.