Fourth of July 2024: How to celebrate Independence Day
Independence Day is soon! Celebrate with this delicious fried chicken recipe.
Problem Solved
Your Fourth of July barbecue essentials are going to be slightly more expensive this year – that is, if you even plan to celebrate.
The Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute analyzed costs for hosting a classic Fourth of July gathering for 10 people and found that consumers can expect to pay $130 for the food and beverages. That’s up 2.2% from the cost for the same gathering a year ago. USA TODAY got an exclusive look at the report.
But in another survey by Coupon Follow, only 1 out of 3 people plan to celebrate Independence Day at all.
How much will the typical Fourth of July cookout cost?
Wells Fargo took a look at the costs for hosting the classic Fourth of July gathering using data from NielsenIQ, which tracks food scanned at retailers across the U.S.
While the cost of $130 for a gathering of 10 people is 2.2% higher than last year, the devil is in the details, said Wells Fargo: in particular the costs of beef and eggs are higher this year.
The menu priced includes barbecued chicken breasts, beef sliders, hotdogs, fresh fruit, vegetable platter, potato salad, corn bread, cake, apple pie, ice cream, beer, wine soda and flavored sparking waters.
Here’s how those main menu items fare:
- Grilled hamburgers are always a crowd pleaser, but the cost of ground beef is up 7.4% over last year, said Wells Fargo. Supply and demand is the issue, with the U.S. cattle herd at one of the lowest levels since the 1950s, which is driving up prices due to limited supply.
- Chicken is a good food alternative this year, with boneless barbecued chicken breasts up 1% thanks to ample supply and lower feed costs. “We’re seeing record affordability on chicken,” said Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute. Swanson said that while poultry prices are higher than they were in 2020 and 2021, they are lower than the high of 2022 when inflationary pressures sharply increased prices. Consumers’ wages are also higher compared to that period, “so we’re saying ‘if you want to put more on the grill, chicken is the way to go,’ ” he said.
- BBQ sauce is up 2.3% while hamburger and hotdog buns are down almost 1.5% as retailers make downward price adjustments to stay competitive, said Wells Fargo.
How are costs for Fourth of July side dishes?
Here’s how side dishes will fare:
- Many U.S.-grown fresh fruits and vegetables are in peak season during the summer. Watermelon and strawberries are grown in abundance in the U.S. and prices are down 0.6% from last year, according to the survey. But your veggie plate may cost more if you stock up on cauliflower and broccoli, both up by 1.2% and baby carrots, which are up 1.9%. Cherry tomatoes are costing more this year, too, up 3.7% from last year.
- Eggs play a key role on many menus, whether they are hard-boiled, deviled, or in potato salad. Egg prices have begun to ease from the highs earlier this year, caused by the national avian bird flu outbreak, but their overall prices are still 40% higher than last year, according to Wells Fargo and the May Consumer Price Index. Meanwhile, potatoes are up 1% year-over year.
- If cornbread is on the menu, shoppers should expect to pay 2.4% more this year.
- Apple pie costs roughly the same as last year, with prices up 1.5% and the price of a 1.5 quart container of ice cream is up less than 1%.
- If alcohol is on your menu, the classic offerings of beer and red, white and sparkline wine are up less than 2%, said Wells Fargo. Root beer and other sodas are costing a little more than last year, with the liter bottle up 2% but that is still cheaper than buying the soda by the can. Flavored sparkling waters are up 4.7% from last year. If guests are looking for specific imported beers and wines, which could be more expensive due to import tariffs, it might be a good idea for the host to suggest they BYOB to keep costs down, said Swanson.
Why 1 in 3 don’t plan to celebrate
Americans’ plans for the holiday depend on their age, location, and how they’re feeling about the country in 2025.
Close to half of Coupon Follow survey respondents say they won’t celebrate Independence Day this year because they aren’t “feeling patriotic” and 44% said they feel “disconnected from American culture right now.”
National pride has dropped for some respondents, with 22% saying they feel less patriotic now than they did in recent years. However, 11% said they feel more patriotic, and 40% said their feelings about the holiday have not changed.
A quarter said the holiday “doesn’t feel inclusive” to them. Price is a factor for 10% of respondents who say they can’t afford to celebrate this year.
The top reasons Americans gave for celebrating on July 4 are that it brings people together, they enjoy fireworks or summer events, and it is tradition.
Younger generations are more likely to participate in this year’s festivities. Only 31% of Gen Z and Millennials say they are opting out, while 38% of Gen X and 38% of Baby Boomers say they plan to sit out celebrations, the survey found.
The holiday is most popular in the Midwest, where only 26% of Americans plan to skip it. At 40%, southerners are most likely to opt out. In between is the West and Northeast, where 31% say they don’t have plans to celebrate.
How much Americans plan to spend celebrating
About 1 in 6 Americans say they will spend significantly less on the holiday this year due to inflation and rising costs.
Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at Coupon Follow, told USA TODAY inflation is a large reason why 2025 appears to be a less busy year for July 4 travel. Only 9% of survey respondents plan to head out of town.
For those who are celebrating, Coupon Follow estimates Americans will spend an average of $200 on travel, $100 on fireworks, $80 on food, $50 on drinks, and $40 on decorations.
The survey found American’s most popular cost-savings measures this year will include bulk shopping or using coupons, skipping decorations, and hosting a smaller event than usual.
