Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations (2026)

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Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations

Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations

Source: WalletHub

Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is one of the biggest holidays in the U.S., marking the birth of the nation. Americans go all out to celebrate, from elaborate parades to backyard cookouts with family and friends. This year, the National Retail Federation projects that U.S. households will spend a collective $9.4 billion on food for Fourth of July festivities alone.

To help Americans find the best and most affordable places to celebrate this star-spangled occasion, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on how well they balance cost and fun. The analysis uses 18 key metrics, ranging from average beer and wine prices to the duration of fireworks shows and the Fourth of July weather forecast.

Make sure to also check out WalletHub’s 4th of July Facts & Figures infographic for fun facts about the holiday.

Top 5 Cities for 4th of July Celebrations

Las Vegas, NV
New York, NY
Orlando, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN

chip lupo

“The 4th of July is one of the most beloved holidays in America, allowing many of us to not only celebrate our independence but also get a day off of work and gather together with family and friends. The best cities for the holiday help you make the most of your day, with affordable food options, good weather, fun recreation choices and long, spectacular fireworks shows.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Source: WalletHub

Best Places to Celebrate 4th of July

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Fourth of July Celebrations Rank	Affordability Rank	Attractions & Activities Rank	Safety & Accessibility Rank	Fourth of July Weather Rank
1	Las Vegas, NV	74.80	2	1	6	24	30
2	New York, NY	66.20	7	99	2	4	30
3	Orlando, FL	63.25	1	45	24	40	79
4	Los Angeles, CA	63.06	8	58	35	61	11
5	Minneapolis, MN	62.40	31	33	15	14	39
6	St. Paul, MN	61.84	27	39	25	12	21
7	San Francisco, CA	61.28	60	81	1	5	22
8	Atlanta, GA	61.02	4	24	8	89	96
9	Seattle, WA	61.00	14	87	17	35	3
10	Sacramento, CA	60.61	15	93	17	44	9
11	San Diego, CA	60.51	18	70	14	26	30
12	Cincinnati, OH	60.05	24	29	5	43	52
13	Scottsdale, AZ	59.84	52	55	21	39	11
14	New Orleans, LA	59.28	5	27	13	91	89
15	Chicago, IL	58.96	10	36	4	13	89
16	Washington, DC	58.33	13	77	7	11	67
17	Irvine, CA	57.09	55	63	23	23	46
18	Pittsburgh, PA	56.80	47	47	28	6	44
19	Miami, FL	56.69	3	78	29	75	99
20	Portland, OR	56.16	80	91	8	50	1
21	Buffalo, NY	56.08	6	95	32	25	79
22	Columbus, OH	55.73	32	22	38	18	52
23	Oakland, CA	55.60	48	80	49	29	11
24	St. Louis, MO	55.57	34	19	12	94	58
25	Madison, WI	55.34	76	64	20	3	66
26	Kansas City, MO	54.96	56	23	54	72	20
27	Fremont, CA	54.47	46	82	63	9	18
28	Milwaukee, WI	54.47	65	15	19	73	61
29	Long Beach, CA	53.98	41	58	42	42	30
30	Charlotte, NC	53.36	12	5	65	81	62
31	Denver, CO	53.23	16	46	8	66	100
32	Boston, MA	53.18	51	96	11	8	57
33	Tucson, AZ	53.12	23	65	56	92	11
34	Raleigh, NC	52.71	36	13	75	60	40
35	North Las Vegas, NV	52.61	74	3	69	57	30
36	Boise, ID	52.05	83	40	54	52	3
37	Anaheim, CA	51.64	22	72	72	64	43
38	Nashville, TN	51.64	9	30	46	98	83
39	Dallas, TX	51.53	17	16	21	86	95
40	Omaha, NE	51.52	61	26	34	37	75
41	Louisville, KY	51.48	39	41	52	78	52
42	Fort Worth, TX	51.39	19	18	61	79	59
43	Reno, NV	51.32	86	21	72	19	9
44	Glendale, AZ	51.31	75	55	82	17	3
45	Norfolk, VA	51.02	68	73	29	74	50
46	Lexington-Fayette, KY	50.92	66	25	72	62	24
47	Houston, TX	50.90	37	8	16	95	92
48	Virginia Beach, VA	50.76	84	73	36	38	45
49	Oklahoma City, OK	50.73	35	10	82	70	47
50	Jacksonville, FL	50.72	33	68	29	53	77
51	San Jose, CA	50.68	95	71	46	33	25
52	Detroit, MI	50.67	25	17	59	49	73
53	Wichita, KS	50.46	79	4	91	30	29
54	Phoenix, AZ	50.37	89	55	41	93	11
55	Mesa, AZ	50.11	50	52	81	55	11
56	Colorado Springs, CO	50.09	43	32	63	45	59
57	El Paso, TX	50.02	96	35	52	22	22
58	Tulsa, OK	49.84	78	12	62	65	47
59	Albuquerque, NM	49.75	67	37	32	96	49
60	Henderson, NV	49.64	92	2	84	51	1
61	St. Petersburg, FL	49.61	72	48	40	16	70
62	Fresno, CA	49.55	26	42	92	77	11
63	Lubbock, TX	49.30	20	75	93	56	27
64	Baltimore, MD	49.12	21	61	48	82	69
65	Tampa, FL	49.10	30	50	37	80	82
66	Bakersfield, CA	48.99	28	38	95	59	30
67	Stockton, CA	48.88	45	84	76	58	18
68	Lincoln, NE	48.78	85	76	39	7	75
69	Santa Ana, CA	48.25	82	49	79	20	25
70	Indianapolis, IN	48.09	53	11	78	76	56
71	Chula Vista, CA	47.57	49	67	96	31	30
72	Chandler, AZ	47.54	88	52	76	36	3
73	Riverside, CA	47.47	40	31	90	68	30
74	San Antonio, TX	47.45	29	9	56	85	84
75	Greensboro, NC	47.40	69	6	85	87	41
76	Birmingham, AL	47.30	62	20	45	67	86
77	Chesapeake, VA	47.12	94	69	50	27	50
78	Gilbert, AZ	46.97	59	52	99	41	3
79	Memphis, TN	46.08	11	28	69	99	78
80	Arlington, TX	46.00	42	66	58	84	72
81	Plano, TX	45.00	54	44	51	28	98
82	Durham, NC	44.98	71	34	94	88	28
83	San Bernardino, CA	44.90	44	85	100	100	30
84	Austin, TX	44.31	90	7	43	90	92
85	Philadelphia, PA	44.25	93	86	25	47	70
86	Anchorage, AK	44.12	57	97	25	83	86
87	Honolulu, HI	43.87	97	92	3	15	84
88	Winston-Salem, NC	43.03	91	43	87	69	41
89	Toledo, OH	42.70	81	83	71	21	73
90	Aurora, CO	41.63	58	60	80	71	79
91	Corpus Christi, TX	41.39	73	79	67	54	88
92	Fort Wayne, IN	41.18	70	62	89	48	68
93	Irving, TX	41.07	63	90	87	46	65
94	Jersey City, NJ	40.57	99	100	67	1	3
95	Cleveland, OH	39.63	98	51	44	63	63
96	Baton Rouge, LA	39.44	87	14	60	97	94
97	Hialeah, FL	38.99	38	98	86	10	89
98	Newark, NJ	38.88	100	94	66	2	52
99	Laredo, TX	38.27	77	88	98	34	64
100	Garland, TX	35.28	64	89	97	32	97

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for each category.

Avg. Beer & Wine Prices

Avg. Beer & Wine Prices

Lowest

Lowest
1. Reno, NV
2. Kansas City, MO
3. Greensboro, NC
4. St. Louis, MO
5. Lincoln, NE

Avg. Beer & Wine Prices

Highest

Highest
96. Honolulu, HI
97. New York, NY
98. Jersey City, NJ
99. Anchorage, AK
100. Philadelphia, PA

DUI-Related Fatalities per Capita

DUI-Related Fatalities per Capita

Fewest

Fewest
T-1. Detroit, MI
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Minneapolis, MN
T-1. Santa Ana, CA
T-1. Pittsburgh, PA

DUI-Related Fatalities per Capita

Most

Most
85. Tucson, AZ
86. Fort Wayne, IN
87. Boise, ID
88. Norfolk, VA
89. Durham, NC

3-Star Hotels

Cheapest

Cheapest
1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. San Antonio, TX
T-3. Jacksonville, FL
T-3. Detroit, MI
5. Tulsa, OK

Most Expensive

Most Expensive
96. Anchorage, AK
97. Buffalo, NY
98. Boston, MA
99. New York, NY
100. Jersey City, NJ

Fourth of July Weather Forecast

Fourth of July Weather Forecast

Best

Best
T-1. Portland, OR
T-1. Henderson, NV
T-3. Seattle, WA
T-3. Jersey City, NJ
T-3. Chandler, AZ

Fourth of July Weather Forecast

Worst

Worst
96. Atlanta, GA
97. Garland, TX
98. Plano, TX
99. Miami, FL
100. Denver, CO

Show More

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for 4th of July

Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas is the best city for July 4th celebrations, in part because there’s no shortage of things to do, as the city ranks first in entertainment and recreational facilities and has the fifth-most party supply stores per capita.

Las Vegas is also great for grabbing a meal out on Independence Day, as it’s one of the best cities for affordable restaurants with at least 4.5 stars. In addition, people tend to stay safe after drinking, as the city has one of the lowest shares of fatal crashes due to intoxicated driving.

New York, NY

New York is the second-best city for celebrating Independence Day, and it’s also the third-most popular city for people to travel to during the holiday. New York leads the country when it comes to the availability of affordable restaurants with at least 4.5 stars, which is great for people who aren’t holding their own barbecues or who are simply visiting the city.

To top things off, New York has some of the highest-quality parks in the country, as well as some of the best entertainment and recreational facilities to enjoy in the lead-up to the fireworks show. Getting around isn’t an issue even with an influx of tourists, either, since NYC has the best access to public transportation in the nation and is the third-most walkable city.

Orlando, FL

Orlando is the third-best city for 4th of July celebrations, in part because it makes it easy to prepare for a 4th of July bash with the most party supply stores per capita. In addition, Orlando residents get excited about the holiday and search Google for terms related to July 4th more than people in most other cities.

To top things off, Orlando ranks as the fifth-most popular city for Fourth of July celebrations, and state laws allow a wide range of federally permitted consumer fireworks, giving residents plenty of ways to celebrate, in addition to a multitude of other recreational activities to enjoy on the day off.

Ask the Experts: Fourth of July Savings Tips

As Americans, we value our freedom a lot, judging by the amount of money we spend on Fourth of July festivities. But there are ways to strut your patriotic stuff — and have a great time doing it — without breaking the bank. For money-saving advice, we asked a panel of experts for their thoughts on the following key questions:

What money-saving tips do you have for people planning to travel for the Fourth of July?
The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year. How does holiday timing affect people’s spending and travel plans?
Has recent volatility in the economy and the stock market, driven by tariffs and mass layoffs, changed the way Americans celebrate the Fourth of July?
When evaluating the best cities for Fourth of July celebrations, what are the top five indicators?
What are some ways Americans can celebrate the Fourth of July without breaking the bank?

Methodology

To determine the best and worst cities for celebrating Independence Day, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across five key dimensions: 1) Fourth of July Celebrations, 2) Affordability, 3) Attractions & Activities, 4) Safety & Accessibility and 5) Fourth of July Weather Forecast.

We evaluated those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for Independence Day fun. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Please note that our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

Fourth of July Celebrations – Total Points: 40

Fourth of July Popularity: Full Weight (~8.89 Points)
Legality of Fireworks: Full Weight (~8.89 Points)
Party Suppliers per Capita*: Half Weight (~4.44 Points)
Duration of Fireworks Show: Full Weight (~8.89 Points)
Google Search Interest for “4th of July Celebration”: Full Weight (~8.89 Points)
Note: This metric measures the real intent of the population to find information about “4th of July Events Near Me”, “4th of July Parade” and “4th of July Activities”.

Affordability – Total Points: 15

Prevalence of Affordable 4.5+ Star Restaurants: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
Average Hamburger Cost: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
Average Beer & Wine Prices: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
Note: “Beer” refers to a six-pack of 12-ounce Heineken containers, excluding any deposit. “Wine” refers to a 1.5-liter bottle of Chablis, Chenin Blanc or any white table wine.
Lowest Price of a Three-Star Hotel: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)

Attractions & Activities – Total Points: 15

Recreation-Friendliness: Full Weight (~15.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking of 100 cities’ entertainment options, recreational facilities and parks quality. The ranking includes 45 total metrics such as music venues per capita, parks spending per capita and movie costs.

Safety & Accessibility – Total Points: 15

Walkability: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Access to Public Transportation: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of commuters who use public transit.
Traffic Congestion: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Pedestrian Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Crime Rate (Neighborhood Security): Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
DUI-Related Fatalities (July) per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

Fourth of July Weather Forecast – Total Points: 15

Difference Between Forecasted Temperature & Normal Temperature for Fourth of July: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: For this metric, the city was penalized if its forecasted temperature on Fourth of July is colder than the holiday’s average temperature.
Forecasted Precipitation for Fourth of July: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of May 27, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Priceline.com, Federal Bureau of Investigations, INRIX, American Pyrotechnics Association, Walk Score, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AccuWeather, Google Ads, Kayak.com, Yelp, each city’s local tourism office and WalletHub research.

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