Best and worst California cities to celebrate the Fourth of July, ranked
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California is home to some of the country’s best places to celebrate the Fourth of July — but not every city in the state is bringing fireworks-worthy fun.
A new WalletHub ranking of the best and worst places for Fourth of July celebrations in 2026 found Los Angeles is California’s top city for Independence Day, landing at No. 4 overall in the nation.
Only Las Vegas, New York and Orlando ranked higher.
Several other California cities also turned in strong showings. San Francisco came in at No. 7, Sacramento cracked the top 10 at No. 10 and San Diego followed close behind at No. 11.
At the other end of the state rankings, San Bernardino was the worst-performing California city, finishing No. 83 out of 100.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest US cities across 18 metric designed to measure both fun and affordability. Those factors ranged from average beer and wine prices and 3-star hotel costs to fireworks duration, safety and accessibility, and the Fourth of July weather forecast.
The ranking comes as Americans are expected to spend big for the holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, US households are projected to shell out $9.4 billion on food for Fourth of July festivities this year.
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“The 4th of July is one of the most beloved holidays in America, allowing many of us to not only celebrate our independence but also get a day off of work and gather together with family and friends,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. “The best cities for the holiday help you make the most of your day, with affordable food options, good weather, fun recreation choices and long, spectacular fireworks shows.”
Los Angeles earned its high placement with a total score of 63.06, ranking 8th for Fourth of July celebrations and 11th for weather. That helped offset weaker marks in affordability (58th) and safety and accessibility (61st).
San Francisco finished even higher in some categories, despite its overall seventh-place finish. The city ranked No. 1 in the nation for attractions and activities and No. 5 for safety and accessibility, though its steep costs dragged it down with an 81st-place affordability rank.
Sacramento also benefited from good holiday conditions, coming in 9th for weather, while San Diego landed 30th for weather and 14th for attractions and activities.
San Bernardino’s ranking was especially rough. It placed 100th in attractions and activities and also 100th in safety and accessibility, making it California’s clear laggard in the holiday study.
Nationally, the top five cities were Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
So while plenty of Californians will be in prime position for a strong Independence Day showing, the new ranking suggests where you spend the holiday could make a big difference.