With 84% of Americans planning to celebrate the 4^th of July this year and collective food spending for the holiday to reach $7.7 billion, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations, as well as accompanying videos, to go along with interesting stats about the holiday in its 4th of July Facts & Figures infographic and 4^th of July Survey.

To determine the best places to celebrate the most star-spangled occasion, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on how well they balance holiday cost and fun. The data set of 21 key metrics ranges from average beer and wine prices to duration of fireworks shows to the Fourth of July weather forecast.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-4th-of-july-celebrations/4651

4th of July Facts & Figures

• $7.7 Billion: Amount Americans plan to spend on 4^th of July food.
• 150 Million: Number of hot dogs eaten each 4^th of July.
• $1.4+ Billion: Amount Americans plan to spend on 4^th of July beer and wine.
• $2.4+ Billion: Estimated amount spent on fireworks in 2021 (66% of fireworks injuries occur within a month of July 4).
• $6.9 Million: Value of American flags imported annually.
• 47.9 Million: Number of people who travel 50+ miles from home for the 4^th of July.

To view the full infographic, please visit: https://wallethub.com/blog/4th-of-july-facts/22075

Survey Key Findings

• Inflation is hurting celebrations. 57% of Americans say that inflation is affecting their 4^th of July plans.
• Americans support USA goods. 65% of Americans say they make an effort to buy things made in the USA.
• Financial independence is shaky. Only 56% of Americans feel financially independent this 4^th of July.
• Summer spending is down overall. More than half of Americans will spend less money this summer than last year.
• Saving vs. spending. 64% of Americans believe saving money is more patriotic than spending it.

Q&A with WalletHub

How has inflation impacted Americans’ plans for this 4^th of July?

“Two-thirds of Americans plan to spend less money on the 4^th of July this year compared to last year, despite there being far fewer restrictions on gather. A big reason for this decrease in spending is rising inflation, which is causing Americans to make fewer non-essential purchases related to the holiday and to travel less,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “In fact, 57% of Americans say that inflation is affecting their 4th of July plans.”

How do Americans feel about their finances this 4^th of July?

“Unfortunately, only 56% of Americans feel financially independent this 4^th of July, compared to 64% last year,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “The country has recovered from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, including bringing the unemployment rate close to pre-pandemic levels, but rising inflation is threatening to undo a lot of our recovery progress.”

This 4^th of July, how do Americans feel about spending versus saving money?

“Around 64% of Americans believe that saving money is more patriotic than spending it right now, which makes sense because many people had their savings wiped out by the pandemic. In addition, people have seen the impact of inflation and know that they should have some cash reserves to deal with it,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “People who rebuild their savings can be less reliant on support from the government, which frees up more resources for the country to use for other important things, like public health and infrastructure. Spending money can also be patriotic, though, because it stimulates the economy and helps the country grow.”

Will lower spending continue throughout the summer?

“Around 51% of Americans say they will spend less money this summer compared to last year,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “That’s lower than the percentage of people who plan to spend less this 4^th of July, at 66%, but it’s still substantial. As long as inflation keeps rising, we should expect people to cut back on their spending and travel plans.”

The above Q&A is also provided in audio format and can be edited as needed.