No City Better Than NYC For July 4 Celebrations, Ranking Says

NEW YORK — The biggest is the best when it comes to Independence Day. New York City has been named the nation's best place to celebrate the Fourth of July for the second straight year.

The Big Apple once again topped WalletHub's ranking of the best American cities for July Fourth celebrations. The personal finance website evaluated the nation's 100 largest cities based on 20 holiday-related metrics, from the duration of a fireworks show to the average cost of a hamburger.

New York City took first place honors in nine of those categories, including the number of Independence Day festivals and performances, access to public transportation and the fewest DUI-related fatalities per capita for July.

But the city took some knocks for its high costs. It has the nation's second-most expensive average beer and wine prices and the 13th-highest average hamburger cost, according to WalletHub.

Tourists in search of a top-notch July 4 could also head west to Los Angeles, which took second place on WalletHub's ranking. But they should avoid nearby San Bernardino, California, which placed dead last.

Here are the nation's top 10 cities for Fourth of July celebrations, according to WalletHub. See the full ranking here.

1. New York City
2. Los Angeles
3. San Diego
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Las Vegas
6. Dallas
7. Atlanta
8. Chicago
9. San Francisco
10. St. Louis