That’s not love in the N.J. air 2 cities among worst places for Valentine’s Day, study finds

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You might not get the day off from work, but few holidays are as high stakes as Valentine’s Day.And if you’re on the prowl to get your honey flowers or chocolates, or nab that romantic corner at a fancy restaurant, you may be in for a shock wandering around two major New Jersey cities, as they are among the worst in America for Valentine’s Day, according to a WalletHub.com study.

Jersey City ranked No. 89 and Newark No. 92 on a list of the 100 most populated cities.

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According to the report, “To give established and prospective couples a sense of how good a Day of Hearts deal they’re getting compared with the rest of the country, WalletHub examined 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across 15 key metrics.”

The personal finance website considered data such as restaurant meal costs and the number of attractions and florists per capita.

Jersey City was No. 65 in the special day’s budget ranking, and Newark rang in at No. 69. For Valentine’s Day activities, Jersey City and Newark ranked No. 45 and No. 42, respectively.

The average person will spend $142.31 on gifts and merchandise this year on Feb. 14, up from $133.91 last year.

As for total costs? A National Retail Federation survey determined that Americans will spend a total of $18.9 billion this holiday season.

San Francisco finished first in the rankings — so if you’re a lovebird looking to book a romantic getaway for two, give California a shot.

As part of WalletHub.com’s methodology, it also considered weather forecasts, beauty salon costs and the number of nightlife options and jewelry stores per capita.

It got its data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Council for Community and Economic Research, Numbeo, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Eventbrite and Accuweather.com.

To see the full report, click here.

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