The U.S. cities with the biggest and smallest holiday budgets

The holidays are here. And budgetary problems too.

Sales are expected to increase this holiday season, with Americans planning to spend more than $1 trillion. At the same time, the average household already has more than $10,000 in credit card debt, a figure that’s likely to rise once the holidays are over.

That’s why WalletHub searched for cities with the largest and smallest vacation budgets. To do this, the study examined more than 550 cities in five categories: income, age, debt-to-income ratio, monthly income-to-spending ratio and monthly savings-to-spending ratio. After analyzing the numbers, he calculated an average vacation budget for residents of each city.

“Depending on the city, an American’s vacation budget this year can range from just over $200 to over $4,000, taking into account residents’ income, existing debt and cost of living,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

Lupo said that no matter how well you do, he recommends establishing a vacation budget “so you don’t accumulate unsustainable debt and end up in a bad position after the vacation.”

“There are many ways to enjoy the holidays and show your care without spending a lot of money, like hosting potlucks or giving handmade gifts,” he said.

Keep reading to discover the five cities where people can spend the most and the least during the holidays, according to WalletHub.