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This small US town will be surprisingly generous with gifts this holiday season

This small US town will be surprisingly generous with gifts this holiday season

It turns out that Santa Claus runs a numbers racket.

If you’re wishing and hoping that the man in red will bring you everything you wanted this year, a new study suggests that where you live has a lot to do with how many presents will be under your tree this Christmas – down to the zip code.

WalletHub took a close look at more than 550 different cities across the United States to see how much we spend – with researchers finding many regional differences as Americans begin to trim their gift budgets.

WalletHub took a close look at more than 550 different cities across the United States to see how much we're spending this season. Syda Productions – stock.adobe.com
WalletHub took a close look at more than 550 different cities across the United States to see how much we’re spending this season. Syda Productions – stock.adobe.com

“Depending on the city… this year’s vacation budget(s) could range from just over $200 to more than $4,000, taking into account residents’ income, their existing debt obligations and the cost of living,” WalletHub’s Chip Lupo said in an opinion.

The number crunchers weighed a total of five metrics to create their naughty and beautiful list: income, age, debt-to-income ratio, monthly income-to-monthly expenses ratio, and savings-to-monthly expenses ratio.

It turns out that Tony Newton, Massachusetts has the highest average vacation budget at $4,206, according to the website.

Of course, it helps that the wealthy Boston suburb has the third-highest median annual household income in the country — over $185,000.

This means, according to WalletHub, the average Newton resident who has over $36,000 saved in savings will have an additional $5,900 or more left over each month after paying all essential expenses. That means they can afford to be extremely generous during the holidays, experts say.

Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston, had the highest average vacation budget in the country at $4,206. Wangkun Jia – stock.adobe.com
Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston, had the highest average vacation budget in the country at $4,206. Wangkun Jia – stock.adobe.com

New York City residents won’t exactly be giving or receiving cash in their stockings this year, but the city’s maximum vacation budget of $1,539 pales in comparison, giving the Big Apple a shocking 163rd place on the list.

Even nearby Yonkers fares better, with a maximum vacation budget of $1,623, ranking the city 141st.

According to the list makers, both cities should benefit compared to many other parts of the country.

New York City residents have an average maximum budget of $1,539, ranking 163rd on the list. Vitalii – stock.adobe.com
New York City residents have an average maximum budget of $1,539, ranking 163rd on the list. Vitalii – stock.adobe.com

Imagine staying in Lauderhill, Florida, which comes in last on the list with the lowest vacation budget at just $217.

But Broward County residents aren’t the only ones tightening their belts.

US holiday Sales are expected to grow at their slowest pace since 2018 They fear persistent inflation is wiping out consumers’ savings, according to a new survey.

U.S. holiday sales are expected to grow at their slowest pace since 2018 amid fears that persistent inflation will wipe out consumer savings, according to a new survey. gpointstudio – stock.adobe.com
U.S. holiday sales are expected to grow at their slowest pace since 2018 amid fears that persistent inflation will wipe out consumer savings, according to a new survey. gpointstudio – stock.adobe.com

Holiday retail sales are forecast to rise 2.3% to 3.3% between November and January, reaching as much as $1.6 trillion. according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast.