The 2025 holiday shopping season is quickly approaching, with national spending expected to break the $1 trillion mark. California will contribute substantially to that total, according to a new report from WalletHub. The credit site ranked more than 550 U.S. cities by how much residents can reasonably afford to spend this season. California claimed 11 of the top 20 spots.
WalletHub’s analysis factors in income, age, savings levels, and expenses to determine the maximum holiday spending households can take on without jeopardizing their financial stability. The company also released a free personalized holiday budget calculator for its members, available through December 25.
Here are the California cities that made the top 20 nationally:
| State Ranking | City | Holiday Budget | National Ranking |
| 1 | Palo Alto | $4,485 | 1 |
| 2 | Mountain View | $4,266 | 2 |
| 3 | Milpitas | $3,702 | 6 |
| 4 | Sunnyvale | $3,691 | 7 |
| 5 | Santa Clara | $3,690 | 8 |
| 6 | Redwood City | $3,627 | 9 |
| 7 | Fremont | $3,574 | 11 |
| 8 | Livermore | $3,439 | 13 |
| 9 | San Mateo | $3,313 | 18 |
Additional California cities appear slightly outside the top 20, reflecting strong budgets across much of the state.
To view the rankings in their entirety, click here.
Lists and rankings were compiled by WalletHub and do not reflect statistics on all cities.