9 best Texas winter destinations for warm-weather lovers

Tabor Pittman soaks up the sun while reading at Auditorium Shores on an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2026, as temperatures reached the mid-80s. "I think December is the best month of the year but January is off to a dang good start," he said.

Tired of snow? Several Texas cities, including the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro, rank among the best winter destinations for warm-weather lovers, according to a new WalletHub study focused on affordability, ease of travel and things to do.

There are two kinds of people out there: those who love a traditional snowy winter and those who prefer to have their toes in a sandy beach. Regardless of which applies to you, you’ll probably want to save money while enjoying the season.

WalletHub is helping travellers plan for the colder months, whether they wish to embrace the cold or avoid it. Its analysis ranks the cheapest, easiest-to-reach U.S. locations and separates them into two categories: best winter destinations for warm-weather lovers and best winter destinations for cold-weather lovers. The areas were then analyzed along 37 key measures, including two weeks of flight data, safety indicators and weather predictions.

While other studies focus on scenic quality, WalletHub’s data focuses largely on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location. Along with affordability, it also looked at the number of attractions and variety of activities in each location.

“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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “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.”

While Texas cities didn't appear in the cold-weather destinations list for obvious reasons, a handful did make it into the rankings for warm-weather destinations.

James Wagner, left, and Chris Nennig play croquet at Auditorium Shores on an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2026, as temperatures reached the mid-80s.

Aside from some exceptions in recent years, Texas cities typically offer many benefits for those looking to escape traditional winters. Four areas within the Lone Star State ranked among the country’s 10 best winter destinations, with several more appearing among the 37 listed by WalletHub. Overall, Texas cities were recognized for having some of the lowest costs; however, others scored poorly when it came to attractions and warm-weather activities.

Houston (No. 1), Austin (No. 2) and Dallas (No. 5) had some of the nation’s lowest travel costs and hassles, along with New Orleans (No. 3) and Phoenix (No. 4). However, Brownsville had the second-highest costs, behind Honolulu.

McAllen (No. 1) and Dallas (No. 4) also had some of the lowest local costs among the areas analyzed.

Killeen (No. 4-worst) and McAllen (No. 5-worst) had some of the fewest attractions among the cities in WalletHub’s rankings. Killeen (No. 3-worst) and Beaumont (No. 5-worst) also had among the fewest warm-weather activities.

Here’s how Texas areas ranked overall and in each category in WalletHub’s analysis:

No. 3: Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown

• Total score: 67.86
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 2
• Local costs rank: 10
• Attractions rank: 9
• Weather rank: 6
• Warm-weather activities rank: 13
• Safety rank: 19

No. 4: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

• Total score: 67.35
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 5
• Local costs rank: 4
• Attractions rank: 12
• Weather rank: 2
• Warm-weather activities rank: 12
• Safety rank: 27

No. 6: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land

• Total score: 65.13
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 1
• Local costs rank: 9
• Attractions rank: 6
• Weather rank: 23
• Warm-weather activities rank: 7
• Safety rank: 33

No. 9: San Antonio-New Braunfels

• Total score: 60.37
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 9
• Local costs rank: 14
• Attractions rank: 11
• Weather rank: 12
• Warm-weather activities rank: 14
• Safety rank: 35

No. 24: McAllen-Edinburg-Mission

• Total score: 50.74
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 24
• Local costs rank: 1
• Attractions rank: 33
• Weather rank: 31
• Warm-weather activities rank: 26
• Safety rank: 2

No. 29: Killeen-Temple

• Total score: 48.45
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 30
• Local costs rank: 20
• Attractions rank: 34
• Weather rank: 19
• Warm-weather activities rank: 35
• Safety rank: 28

No. 31: Beaumont-Port Arthur

• Total score: 47.46
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 23
• Local costs rank: 6
• Attractions rank: 28
• Weather rank: 28
• Warm-weather activities rank: 33
• Safety rank: 31

No. 35: Brownsville-Harlingen

• Total score: 44.62
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 36
• Local costs rank: 13
• Attractions rank: 30
• Weather rank: 22
• Warm-weather activities rank: 31
• Safety rank: 11

No. 36: Corpus Christi

• Total score: 44.37
• Travel costs & hassles rank: 27
• Local costs rank: 17
• Attractions rank: 20
• Weather rank: 29
• Warm-weather activities rank: 27
• Safety rank: 36

Sunlight glints off Lady Bird Lake as a group paddles a canoe on an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, 2026, with temperatures climbing into the mid-80s.

Top 10 best winter vacation destinations for warm-weather lovers

1. Las Vegas and two of its suburbs — Henderson, Nev. and Paradise, Nev.
2. San Diego, its suburb Carlsbad, Calif., and Chula Vista, Calif.
3. Austin and two of its suburbs — Round Rock and Georgetown
4. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
5. Phoenix and two of its suburbs — Mesa, Ariz. and Chandler, Ariz.
6. Houston and two of its suburbs — The Woodlands and Sugar Land
7. Tampa, Fla., its suburb Clearwater, Fla., and St. Peterburg, Fla.
8. San Francisco, its suburb Berkeley, Calif., and Oakland, Calif.
9. San Antonio and its suburb New Braunfels
10. Los Angeles, its suburb Anaheim, Calif., and Long Beach, Calif.

Top 10 best winter vacation destinations for cold-weather lovers

1. Chicago and two of its suburbs — Naperville, Ind. and Elgin, Wis.
2. Altanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Ga.
3. Washington and two of its suburbs — Arlington, Va. and Alexandria, Va.
4. St. Louis, Mo./Ill.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio/Ky./Ind.
6. New York Metropolitan Area, including New York; Newark, N.J.; and Jersey City, N.J.
7. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo.
8. Albuquerque, N.M.
9. Kansas City, Mo./Kan.
10. Boston and two of its suburbs — Cambridge, Mass. and Newton, N.H.