Lifestyle Holiday Christmas New Study Finds the 5 'Coziest' Christmas Getaways — and N.Y.C. (Shockingly) Didn't Make the Top of the List Las Vegas was determined to be the least cozy city in the United States for a Christmas getaway By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 17, 2024 09:00AM EST Comments Rockefeller Center Tree during the Christmas season in 2022. Photo: SARAH YENESEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock New York City is not considered to be the "coziest" Christmas getaway spot, according to a new study. In findings from BetMGM Casino, the online platform evaluated the "coziest cities" for a holiday vacation across the United States. There, it found that the East Coast destination, known for its lavish and exciting celebrations during the most wonderful time of the year, did not make the top 5. Instead, North Pole, Alaska, took the top spot, while Park City, Utah; Denver, Colo.; Kennebunkport, Maine and Asheville, N.C. followed behind. New York City, meanwhile, took the sixth spot overall. Elsewhere, Las Vegas, Nev. was determined by the study to be the least cozy city in the U.S. for a Christmas getaway. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A wintry village. Getty Here Are the Top U.S. Destinations Most Likely to Have a White Christmas, According to Travel Experts BetMGM Casino's study utilized Condé Nast Traveler’s “The Best Places to Spend Christmas in the U.S." to select the 19 cities best known for their "Christmas appeal." After collecting data between Oct. 21 and Oct. 26, the company then chose six key factors associated with a cozy Christmas atmosphere — snowfall, accommodation availability, festive events, venues, nature and temperature. Snowfall marked "the average amount of snow during December to set the scene for a magical atmosphere," while accommodation highlighted "the amount of cabins and bed & breakfasts still available for booking during December," per BetMGM Casino. Festive events, the company added, accessed "the amount of cozy theater shows and Christmas markets to fill your calendar with during December," venues signified "the amount of ice skating rinks, cozy coffee shops, and shopping centers, perfect for gift hunting or warming up with a hot chocolate," nature determined "the number of parks for snowy strolls where the crunch under your boots just screams Christmas" and temperature examined "how chilly it is during December, bundling up in scarves and gloves only enhance that cozy, festive feeling." Cities were then ranked based on their scores, with the highest ones being the best cities for a cozy Christmas getaway. Close