The Alamo City’s sunny disposition and affordable holiday happenings make it a hotspot for a winter getaway, and San Antonio-New Braunfels has just been declared the No. 9 best winter destination for warm-weather lovers in 2026.
The ranking comes in WalletHub’s new study, “Best Winter Holiday Destinations,” which analyzed 69 U.S. metros based on the cost and convenience of traveling and the affordability of local attractions and activities. The rankings were categorized into six key dimensions: travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, warm-weather activities, and safety, and the results were broken down by cold weather and warm weather.
Las Vegas leads the nation as the No. 1 best warm-weather winter destination, while Atlanta, Georgia ranks No. 1 among cold winter wonderlands.
The report found the San Antonio metro ranks 10th nationwide for its “travel costs and hassles” and its “local costs,” which included the cost of a three-star hotel room, the average price for a two-person meal, taxi fare costs, and the cost of living.
Here’s how WalletHub broke down the metro’s ranking across the remaining categories:
No. 11 – AttractionsNo. 12 – WeatherNo. 14 – Warm-weather activitiesNo. 33 – Safety
While Halloween is still on the horizon, that hasn’t stopped local businesses from sharing their jolly events coming to the city this holiday season.
“Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates.”
Texas dominates the 10 best warm-weather winter destinations for 2026 with Dallas-Fort Worth (No. 3), Austin (No. 4), and Houston (No. 6) joining San Antonio. Four other Texas cities earned spots lower on the list: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 26), Brownsville-Harlingen (No. 31), Corpus Christi (No. 33), and Beaumont-Port Arthur (No. 35).
The top 10 best warm-weather winter destinations for 2026 are:
No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NevadaNo. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CaliforniaNo. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TexasNo. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TexasNo. 5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, ArizonaNo. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TexasNo. 7 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FloridaNo. 8 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FloridaNo. 9 – San Antonio-New Braunfels, TexasNo. 10 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California