Lifestyle

Best and Worst Places to Celebrate the 4th of July

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Celebrate the 4th of July in some of the best places in the United States. Though many places vied for the top spots, some didn’t make it. A few cities ranked as some of the worst places for Independence Day. WalletHub delved deep into 18 metrics from 100 cities to find the best and worst places to go for the 4th of July.

Criteria Used for the Study

4th of July Fireworks Display

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Analysts used five subcategory scores to reach the overall scores for each city. The first category, 4th of July celebrations, assessed the popularity of the holiday, the cost of admission to a party, the legality of fireworks, and the number of festivals or performances. Secondly, the analysts examined affordability of celebrating based on the cost of wine, beer, burgers, a 3-star hotel, and the number of 4.5 star and above restaurants. WalletHub used the criteria outlined in its “Best and Worst Cities for Recreation” to determine the third metric, attractions, and activities. Safety and the forecast for the holiday rounded out the five subheadings.

Best and Worst Places Overall to Celebrate the 4th of July

Best City to Celebrate 4th of July is Atlanta, Georgia

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Of course, you want to find which cities rank at the top. Atlanta, Georgia, ranked as best overall. This city also ranked second in the subcategory of celebrations, though its score dropped from its 86th-place ranking in safety. The worst city for the 4th of July was Newark, N.J. Though this city ranked 4th in safety, its last-place finishing in celebrations dropped it to last overall.

Interesting Findings

Stay at the cheapest hotels in Las Vegas when you celebrate the 4th of July

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

If you’re traveling to one of these 100 cities, you may find yourself spending four times more for the cheapest 3-star hotel compared to the best and worst. Honolulu, Hawaii, came in last for hotel rates. Three cities tied for the cheapest 3-star hotels: Las Vegas, Nevada; Henderson, Nevada; and North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Plan on partying? It’ll be safer to drive after your 4th of July party in Newark, N.J., which has the fewest DUI fatalities per capita. It’s 12 times fewer than the DUI fatalities in the tied last place cities, San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri.

The findings on cities with the best and worst forecasted weather should not surprise you. Each city ranked based on the chance of precipitation as well as how far the average temperature deviated from 75 degrees Fahrenheit. All the top five cities for best weather are in California, and the five with the worst weather are all in Arizona.

But, all is not lost for those celebrating in Arizona. The top spot with the lowest beer and wine prices was a six-way tie among all six Arizona cities in the study. Highest beer and wine prices were found in New York City, N.Y.

Where to Celebrate the 4th of July in Texas Hill Country

Celebrate the 4th of July in Austin, Texas

Photo: Flickr/Roy Niswanger

Looking to celebrate the 4th of July in the Lone Star State? Aside from low rankings for the hot weather and higher likelihood of rain, most Texas Hill Country cities fared well. San Antonio, Texas, came in 59th overall, but it was the 17th most affordable city. Austin has similar rankings, placing 48th overall and 20th in affordability.

Whether your city made the list or not, get out this Independence Day and celebrate freedom while enjoying everything your hometown has to offer.