AAA projects that a record-breaking 48.9 million Americans will travel this Fourth of July. But where should they go for the best Independence Day celebration?
Personal finance website WalletHub recently compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on their balance of holiday cost and fun, analyzing more than a dozen key metrics ranging from average beer and wine prices to duration of fireworks shows to the weather forecast.
Unsurprisingly, New York City and Los Angeles are the class of the field in 2019, with the Big Apple ranking number one overall and best for July 4 attractions and activities and L.A. ranking first nationwide for July 4 celebrations.
San Diego, Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas round out the top five, followed by Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis. Vegas ranked first among the 100 cities WalletHub analyzed in terms of cheapest three-star hotels.
Marquee destinations such as New Orleans (11th), Seattle (16th), Miami (18th), Orlando (19th) and Boston (24th) also cracked the top 25 with overall scores of 57 or better.
Travelers looking for Fourth of July destinations where their dollar will go the furthest this summer will want to consider the Southwest, specifically Phoenix; Las Vegas; Scottsdale, Arizona; Oklahoma City and San Antonio, which rank inside WalletHub's top five for affordability.
The category takes into account the prevalence of affordable 4.5-plus star restaurants, average hamburger cost, average beer and wine prices and lowest price of a three-star hotel.
Indianapolis; Orlando; Mesa, Arizona; Jacksonville and Dallas round out the nation's top 10 cities in terms of wallet-friendliness this Independence Day.
If the weather is your top priority this holiday, Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; Lexington, Kentucky; Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, North Carolina fare the best.
Click here to view WalletHub's complete rankings of the best places to celebrate the Fourth of July in 2019.
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