2024 Fourth of July survey: Best US cities to celebrate Independence Day

The Fourth of July is almost here, and millions of Americans have presumably readied their agendas for one of the nation's most blown-out celebrations. A day spilling with patriotic plans and togetherness, the US Independence Day always has a lot in store for everyone—from stellar fireworks spectacles to party plans surrounded by spreads and whatnot.

These preparations go hand-in-hand with cohesive planning to help you determine where the party bus should stop for its grand festivities. The personal finance website WalletHub comes to save the day in that arena. Ahead of the glorious holiday, it revealed its recent survey figures, listing the best US cities for celebrating the Fourth of July in 2024.

WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe remarked, “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.”

Also read | Survey: 60% of Americans plan to spend less on 4th of July in 2024: How inflation impacted the budget decision

The survey compares the 100 most populous cities based on the following pivotal parameters: holidaying on a budget, accessibility and walkability, safety, weather forecasts, recreational activities and fireworks displays. Their findings, as revealed in a media release, ultimately dropped the curtain on the reveal, announcing the Top 10 cities for the red, white and blue holiday as:

1. Los Angeles
2. New York
3. Seattle
4. Las Vegas
5. Minneapolis
6. San Francisco
7. San Diego
8. Washington, DC
9. St Paul
10. St Louis

Highlights of the 3 best cities for Fourth of July celebrations

1. Los Angeles

WalletHub ranked Los Angeles, California, as the best city for Fourth of July festivities. Factors fuelling this pick included the US city having the second-most party supply stores per capita. Moreover, the survey discovered that LA residents raved the most about the holiday, which was reflected in their top-ranking Google searches for terms related to the federal holiday more than other cities.

The weather forecast also appeared favourable for the city, with reportedly very few chances for precipitation of the fourth. Plus, the city's fantastic walkability painted an even better picture of accessibility to recreational activities.

2. New York

New York is the second-best American city to celebrate the holiday. As the third-most popular city people travel to on the fourth, NY leads by example with its chains of affordable restaurants, which are reviewed favourably. On the contrary, the city doesn't boast one of the longest fireworks shows in the country, but it expands to an agreeable runtime of 25 minutes. Residents are also allowed to set off their own fireworks.

Since the Fourth of July is essentially a holiday well-spent outside, New York offers another green flag with the highest-quality parks in the US. Following the festive fireworks show, people may happily depart to some easily accessible entertainment and recreational facilities for the day's finale. To make things even better, your travel plans are also settled since the city has the best access to public transportation and is praised as the second-most walkable city.

Also read | Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks: Here are the best viewing spots in NYC

3. Seattle

Seattle, WA, is the third-best city for these sparkling celebrations, boasting the third-longest fireworks display compared to the other cities included in WalletHub's study. Here, too, people can set off their own fireworks like NYC.

Similarly, like NYC, this Washington State city is also dotted with strings of affordable and well-reviewed restaurants.

Topping things off, it's among the 10 most walkable cities, which is also linked with good access to public transportation. Moreover, it has the lowest share of fatal crashes due to intoxicated driving in the US, emerging as a safer option despite the holiday offering a welcoming ground for drinking.

Conversely, Glendale, Riverside, Memphis, Newark, and Birmingham were noted as the states with the most DUI-related fatalities per capita. Other safer options in this scenario, beyond Seattle, include Washington DC, Oklahoma City, Omaha, and Colorado Springs.

On the other hand, if your celebrations usually revolve around drinking, you may also consider Wichita, Kansas City, Lincoln, Reno or Corpus Christi, as they recorded the lowest average beer and wine prices.