The boom of the Sunshine State (Florida) now includes the acclaim of being the best place in the United States to celebrate New Year’s, according to a new survey.
The city of Orlando has surpassed the Big Apple as the country’s top New Year’s Eve gathering spot, WalletHub reported.
Orlando’s rise as a New Year’s destination comes after years of trends strengthening Florida, while the Empire State has been losing its once unmatched prominence.
Florida has surpassed New York in population, electoral votes, and congressional representatives following the 2020 U.S. Census.
New York City has fallen to third place on WalletHub’s list of places to spend New Year’s Eve, despite its iconic, internationally televised revelry from Times Square.
San Diego, California, is the second-best city to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Orlando “is ranked first when it comes to nightlife options and affordable restaurants with 4.5+ star ratings, so you can have fun and enjoy a good meal before the arrival of 2024,” WalletHub wrote.
“What keeps New York from being the best city overall is the price – celebrations are much less affordable than in the other two cities,” the organization said.
The average couple will spend $872 to enjoy New Year’s Eve in the three largest cities in the country: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, according to WalletHub.
A New York City official dismissed the study, arguing that Orlando still lacks the energy to compete with the Big Apple.
“It’s like comparing apples to oranges,” said Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, to Fox News Digital.
The Alliance manages activities and events in Times Square, including the famous ball drop celebration on New Year’s Eve, which was first held in 1907.
Harris added: “New York City has been the place that America and the world have looked to for many years to celebrate New Year’s. We will have a million people in Times Square again this year and a billion people watching around the world.”
The national trend, however, is favoring Florida.
New York has lost over 100,000 residents in the past 12 months, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau – more than any other state.
The Empire State has also lost billions of dollars in annual taxable income, while Florida’s coffers have been flooded with billions in new revenue.
“Being recognized as the number 1 destination for New Year’s Eve reinforces that Orlando is an ideal location because there is something for everyone to enjoy,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, to Fox News Digital this week in a statement.
She cited the city’s many outdoor attractions for the whole family, in addition to the “world-famous theme parks,” as reasons for being the best place in the country to celebrate New Year’s.
The list includes “parties, concerts, and food events,” as well as various “unique fireworks displays.”
The fireworks stand out in Florida’s less restrictive political environment and were pointed out by WalletHub as the reason why Orlando tops the list.
“You can’t talk about New Year’s Eve without mentioning fireworks,” the survey reported. “Orlando has some of the longest fireworks displays in the country, and consumer fireworks are legal, so people can organize their own shows.”
San Diego’s “mild weather” helped the sunny Southern California community surpass chilly Gotham.
“It’s the perfect place if you want clear skies to enjoy an outdoor gathering and a fireworks show,” WalletHub reported. “The city has the lowest chance of precipitation on New Year’s Eve.”
Source: Fox News