A new report says Austin is not feeling pretty patriotic this summer. Among Texas cities, Austin has been named the ninth best for celebrating the Fourth of July in 2026 \u2014 not a high ranking for its size. It also flopped when ranked nationally, coming in at No. 84.<\/p>\n
The rankings come from WalletHub’s annual report<\/a> comparing the “Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations.” WalletHub’s experts annually ranks the 100 biggest U.S. cities across 18 metrics like affordability, the variety of celebrations on July 4th, weather favorability, safety, and more. Last year, Austin ranked 88th<\/a> on the list.<\/p>\n The three best cities in the U.S. for celebrating the Fourth of July in 2026 \u2014 marking the nation’s monumental 250th birthday \u2014 are Las Vegas (No. 1), New York City (No. 2), and Orlando (No. 3).<\/p>\n Among individual categories, Austin is the 7th most affordable U.S. city to visit over the Fourth of July holiday, and it ranks 43rd in the “attractions and activities” subcategory \u2014 based on a separate survey<\/a> of the best and worst cities for recreation.<\/p>\n Austin ranked 90th overall for how many July 4th celebrations it has, but that won’t deter residents and visitors from enjoying the local festivities that do exist. This year’s celebrations will include Willie Nelson’s highly anticipated Fourth of July Picnic<\/a> (also known as the annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour).<\/p>\n Austin’s predictably hot weather forecast for the holiday earns it a bottom-tier ranking at No. 92 overall, and the city’s safety and accessibility comes in 90th place.<\/p>\n Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth ranked as the top two best cities in the Lone Star State for celebrating America’s founding, and ranked 39th and 42nd nationally. Houston rounded out the top three statewide, and ranked 47th in the U.S.<\/p>\n This year’s festivities are expected to be meteoric compared to previous years to commemorate the milestone anniversary, according to the report.<\/p>\n