Houston Among Nation's Best New Year's Eve Party Cities

HOUSTON, TX — Not everyone needs to visit Times Square in New York City for the best New Year's Eve outing — especially if you're on a shoestring budget. Though the city that never sleeps might have more to offer, it's one of the most expensive in all the land. There's plenty to do in Texas and Houston alike.

WalletHub ranked the top 100 cities in the United States for partying on New Year's Eve with a weighted formula, and Houston checks in at the No. 23 spot, just behind Anaheim, California and just ahead of Tampa, Florida.

The website uses 25 categories to determine its overall rankings, including entertainment and food, costs and safety and accessibility. Houston ranks No. 26 in entertainment and food, 40th in cost and 67th in safety and accessibility for a composite score of 61.13 points.

New York City ranks No. 1 on the overall list and is No. 1 in entertainment and food while 99th in cost effectiveness. San Francisco ranks second in entertainment and food and ElPaso was rated the cheapest while Miami, Florida is the most expensive: thanks South Beach.

Dallas is the top Texas city on the list at No. 12 while Austin is No. 15. Other Texas cities include San Antonio (18), El Paso (36), Fort Worth (69), Laredo (73), Plano (76), Arlington (79), Corpus Christi (88), Garland (93), Lubbock (95) and Irving (96). Laredo was listed as the safest and most accessible.

WalletHub compared the 100 biggest cities based on 25 key indicators of an epic New Year’s Eve celebration. Their data set ranges from legality of fireworks to average price of a New Year’s Eve party ticket to forecasted precipitation for Dec. 31.

But there's no shortage of things to do in the Greater Houston area. Here's a rather comprehensive list of a few things going on in Houston on Dec. 31.

Image: Concert goers celebrate the New Year at Madison Square Garden on December 31, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)