The holidays have always been rich with timeless traditions—mistletoe hanging overhead, a lit menorah, and the iconic Christmas tree twinkling through the living room window.
Yet, when it comes to decorating for the season, some U.S. cities and states are more festive than others. The decorations American homeowners prefer—as well as the time and money they spend to give their dwellings a seasonal shine—also vary geographically.
It all got us wondering: Which state is the nation’s most festive?
Where the holiday cheer is strongest
Vermont, the Green Mountain State, is America’s most festive when it comes to decorating for the holidays, according to a recent study commissioned by Michigan-based home builders Lombardo Homes. Wyoming, Delaware, Rhode Island, and North Dakota rounded out the study’s top five.
(The study analyzed 6,708 Google search terms related to Christmas decorations and surveyed 1,000 Americans on their favorite holiday decorations.)
Meanwhile, Oklahoma was the least jolly state for holiday decorating, but Minnesota, California, Mississippi, and Michigan weren’t far behind.
Las Vegas topped the list of America’s most festive cities, followed by Baltimore, Denver, Portland, and Seattle.
“Given the city’s reputation for extravagance, it wasn’t a surprise to us that Las Vegas goes the extra mile for Christmas decorations, too,” says Allison Hadley, Lombardo Homes spokesperson.
On the other end of the spectrum, New York City and Los Angeles were America’s least Christmas-obsessed cities for the second year in a row, trailed by Chicago, Phoenix, and Philadelphia.
“While our study found that New York and Los Angeles are once again the major cities that decorate the least for holidays, these cities still get into the Christmas spirit,” says Hadley.
America’s favorite holiday decorations
Not surprisingly, the Christmas tree was the clear winner when it came to America’s favorite holiday decoration, with 79% of Americans saying they plan to decorate a tree this year. Christmas lights, mistletoe, and gingerbread houses were the other favorites.
“One of the beauties of Christmas is that it offers such a variety of holiday decorations, yet some are more universal than others geographically,” Hadley points out. “For example, window candles are popular in New England states like Rhode Island and New Hampshire because the classic Cape Cod-style houses are the perfect settings for them.”
On the other hand, the ephemeral snowman is the most popular holiday decoration in most upper Midwestern states, including Michigan and Minnesota, where freezing temperatures and snow on the ground are typical over the holidays.
As for Americans’ preferred time to start decorating, the week after Thanksgiving is it. More than half (51%) wait until the week after New Year’s to pack away the lights and ornaments.
And while 90% of Americans say Christmas trees are more expensive this year, homeowners plan to spend an average of $140 on Christmas decorations in 2023, almost double the amount that they spent in 2022 ($82).
“Timeless holiday traditions are timeless for a reason,” says Hadley. “While Vermont might top the list as the state that decorates the most for the holidays, that doesn’t mean people in Wisconsin or California are any less excited. It’s clear, based on our study, that the Christmas spirit is alive and well as homeowners get ready for the holiday season.”
America’s most festive states—and their favorite decorations
(Ordered by most to least festive)
Vermont: Christmas tree
Wyoming: Santa
Delaware: window candle
Rhode Island: window candle
North Dakota: nativity
Alaska: Santa
New Hampshire: window candle
South Dakota: angel
Maine: snowman
Montana: ornaments
West Virginia: snowman
Pennsylvania: window candle
New Jersey: Christmas tree
Massachusetts: gingerbread
Connecticut: Christmas lights
Nebraska: Santa
Idaho: nativity
North Carolina: Christmas lights
Utah: mistletoe
Virginia: wreath and garland
Hawaii: mistletoe
South Carolina: wreath and garland
Texas: wreath and garland
Tennessee: nativity
Alabama: Christmas tree
Georgia: mistletoe
New Mexico: Christmas lights
Ohio: snowman
Maryland: gingerbread
Kentucky: ornaments
Florida: ornaments
New York: Christmas tree
Oregon: gingerbread
Wisconsin: gingerbread
Nevada: stocking
Kansas: nativity
Illinois: snowman
Indiana: Christmas tree
Louisiana: wreath and garland
Iowa: angel
Washington: mistletoe
Missouri: Christmas lights
Colorado: gingerbread
Arkansas: inflatables
Arizona: candy cane
Michigan: snowman
Mississippi: nativity
California: mistletoe
Minnesota: snowman
Oklahoma: Christmas lights
Read more at Realtor.com
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