The Philadelphia region is one of the country’s best areas for local holiday shopping, according to a new report by consumer financial services company Bankrate, writes Ariana Perez-Castells for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Your dollars can go further in Philadelphia compared to other cities in the U.S.,” said Alex Gailey, senior data reporter at Bankrate who authored the report.

Gailey compared the 25 largest U.S. metro areas based on how favorable they are to in-person shopping. The factors she considered include sales-tax rates, median income after housing costs, and average credit card balances, as well as the number of retail stores.

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area and the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua metro tied for second place.

The report also calculated how much $875 – the average amount of money a consumer anticipates spending this holiday season – can get them in different areas.

Additionally, the Philadelphia area provides more affordable prices with greater access to retail stores, offering shoppers the chance to be pickier with their choices.

Compared to other metro areas, Philadelphia region residents have more disposable income and less credit card debt for holiday shopping.

Read more about holiday shopping in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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