Seattle Ranks Among 'Most Romantic Cities' For Valentine's Day

WalletHub this week released its list of the most romantic and cost-effective cities in which to celebrate Valentine’s Day. According to the report, Americans collectively will spend $27.4 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts — from greeting cards to jewelry to a night out, the average person will shell out $196.31.

To determine where cities ranked on the list, WalletHub compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities across 26 key metrics, ranging from florists per capita to forecast precipitation to cost of a three-course meal for two.

Budget scores were calculated based on the median household income of the city, and considered the average cost for affordable meals and transportation. Activity scores were based on the number and variety of restaurants, attractitions and romantic hotels. Gift accessibility rankings were calculated based on the number of florists, jewelry stores, spas, chocolate shops, greeting card stores and Google searches.

Despite a gloomy weather ranking, Washington came in 6th place with an overall score of 71.07. Washington’s overall score was calculated by averaging scores in four additional areas, including:

• Budget rank: 6
• Activities rank: 6
• Gift accessibility rank: 13
• Weather forecast rank: 83

Seattle also tied for first in most chocolate shops per capita.

San Francisco, California, came in as the most romantic and cost effective city in which to celebrate Valentine’s Day, followed by New York City and San Diego, California. At the bottom of the list were cities including Hialeah, Florida, Newark, New Jersey, and San Bernardino, California.

Planning a date or buying gifts on Valentine’s Day shouldn’t break the bank. Men are inclined to spend more money on Valentine’s Day than women are, experts told WalletHub, but it’s possible to display your affection for that special someone while remaining smart about your finances.

Some experts suggest opting for the same bottle of wine you’d buy at a restaurant and then planning a great meal at home — all for over a third less than what you would pay at the local restaurant. To make it even more special, get dressed up just as if you were going out.

RELATED:

• 5 Different Ways To Celebrate Valentine’s Day This Year
• Best Valentine’s Day Gifts For Men