The Best Cities for July 4th Celebrations - See Where Portland Ranks

Tuesday, June 27, 2017
GoLocalPDX Lifestyle Team

With the 4th of July coming up, where does Portland rank among best places to celebrate? 

According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Portland ranks as the 36th best city in the U.S. to celebrate the holiday. 

“There’s nothing more American than going all out on Fourth of July. We grill, we drink and we blow stuff up — all in the name of freedom. But freedom is not free. Everything from hotdogs to travel to hospital bills following fireworks accidents costs major scratch. In fact, the National Retail Federation projects that American households this year will spend a collective $7.15 billion — up from $6.8 billion in 2016 — on Fourth of July food alone,” said WalletHub. 

Portland’s Rankings: 

• 87th - 4th of July Celebrations 
• 89th - Affordability 
• 14th - Attractions & Activities 
• 28 - Safety & Accessibility 
• 11th - 4th of July Weather

 

Overall Rankings 

Portland ranks behind Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California, who rank 34th and 35th respectively. Portland ranks ahead of Irvine, California and Santa Ana, California, who rank 38th and 39th respectively. 

Atlanta, Georgia ranks as the best city for 4th of July celebrations, while Newark, New Jersey ranks as the worst. 

The Method 

To determine the best and worst cities for celebrating Independence Day, WalletHub’s analysts 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.

They evaluated those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for Independence Day revelry.

Finally, they determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score, which we then used to rank-order all the cities in our sample. 

Fourth of July Celebrations – Total Points: 40

• Fourth of July Popularity: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
• Legality of Fireworks: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
• Number of Fourth of July Festivals & Performances: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
• Average Price of Fourth of July Party Ticket: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)
• Duration of Fireworks Show: Full Weight (~8.00 Points)

 

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)
• Lowest Price of a Three-Star Hotel: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)

 

Attractions & Activities – Total Points: 15

• Recreation-Friendliness

 

Safety & Accessibility – Total Points: 15

• Walkability: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Access to Public Transportation: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
• 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 per Capita: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)

 

Fourth of July Weather Forecast – Total Points: 15

• Difference Between Forecasted Temperature for Fourth of July & Ideal Temperature (75 degrees F): Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
• Forecasted Precipitations for Fourth of July: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)