Here are the best cities for July Fourth celebrations

It’s the July Fourth holiday, and there’s no doubt folks like to celebrate our nation’s independence in all sorts of ways. Whether it’s fireworks, a barbecue or a day at the beach, it turns out how much fun you have could depends on where you are doing your celebrating. 

So, where is the best place to celebrate? WalletHub has just come out with its list of the Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations, judging 100 of the largest U.S. cities on 18 key factors, including such things as the legality of fireworks, average cost of a beer or hamburger, traffic congestion and weather.

Based on all these factors, the company has picked Los Angeles as the best city for July Fourth celebrations, particularly because there’s only a small chance of precipitation, it’s easy to plan for a bash with the second-most party supply stores per capita and there are plenty of recreational activities to enjoy on a day off.

Coming in at #2 is New York, with Seattle, Las Vegas and Minneapolis rounding out the top five. 

Meanwhile, if you want a great July Fourth, you may want to stay away from Birmingham, Alabama, which lands at the very bottom of the list. Also in the bottom five: Aurora, Colorado; Laredo and Garland, Texas; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.