better luck next year

Houston declines on list of best places for celebrating July 4th

Houston is the best city for celebrating Independence Day in Texas.

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A new national report delivers good news and bad news when it comes to celebrating the 4th of July in Houston: The city is one of the most affordable places in the country for star-spangled celebrations, but it's falling behind overall as a great place to celebrate the holiday.

A new WalletHub study, "Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations (2025)," deems Houston the 39th best U.S. city for celebrating Independence Day, a steep decline from last year's ranking of No. 25. It ranked 15th in 2023.

WalletHub annually compares the 100 biggest U.S. cities across 18 metrics like affordability, the variety of celebrations on July 4th, weather favorability, safety, and more.

On the upside, Houston is the third most affordable U.S. city for celebrating Independence Day in 2025, and WalletHub found it's the city with the second-cheapest three-star hotels nationwide.

Houston also ranked 14th in the category for the most "attractions and activities" surrounding the holiday. Festivities in the region start as early as July 3rd, with numerous suburbs hosting their own 4th of July celebrations with fireworks and other festivities. But a predictably low score in the "weather" category lowers the hot and humid city's overall ranking.

This is how WalletHub ranked Houston in the remaining three categories in the study:

No. 40 – 4th of July celebrations rank
No. 92 – Safety and accessibility rank
No. 94 – 4th of July weather rank

Though Houston earned a middling national rank, it still ranked as the No. 1 city for celebrating Independence Day in Texas. Corpus Christi (No. 93), the Dallas suburb Garland (No. 94), and Laredo (No. 98) all ranked near the bottom as the worst cities for celebrating the holiday state- and nationwide.

The best place for celebrating Independence Day in 2025 is none other than Los Angeles. Rounding out the top five cities are New York City (No. 2), Seattle (No. 3), Las Vegas (No. 4), and Minneapolis (No. 5).

"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," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "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."

Here's how other Texas cities fared on WalletHub's list of the best cities for celebrating the 4th of July:

No. 40 – Dallas
No. 49 – Fort Worth
No. 73 – Arlington
No. 80 – San Antonio
No. 82 – Plano
No. 85 – Irving
No. 88 – Austin

An additional Fourth of July report by WalletHub (created from an online survey of "over 200 Americans") revealed public sentiment regarding the federal holiday has soured, with 38 percent of respondents saying they "don't feel financially independent this fourth of July." Additional economic issues that are concerning Americans include rising inflation rates, tariff woes, and others.

"More than half of Americans say inflation is affecting their 4th of July plans," the survey said. "7 in 10 Americans think the founding fathers would not be satisfied with the current economy."

Despite these worries, WalletHub discovered one in four Americans say celebrating Independence Day "is worth going into debt" for.

Other intriguing observations made by the survey include 65 percent of Americans claim they are "making a bigger effort" to buy U.S.-made products, though nearly one in three people say they aren't willing to pay more money to purchase things made in the U.S.

Additional findings from the survey include:

79 percent of Americans say U.S. independence is threatened by the rising federal debt
53 percent of Americans plan to spend less money this Fourth of July than they did last year
48 percent of people say tariffs are affecting their Fourth of July plans
Nearly 2 in 3 people believe access to credit should be a basic American right

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Design For All

Famed Texas architecture office opens call for 2026 $20K design grant

Courtesy of Hai Hospitality.

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A leading Texas-based architecture office is offering pro-bono services to nonprofits in the Austin, Houston, and for the first time, Dallas-Fort Worth areas. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA) is embarking on its fifth annual Design for All initiative, with applications open now through May 15 at 5 pm.

MHOA is looking for a registered 501(c)(3) located within 50 miles of the approved metros. The nonprofit chosen will receive a grant covering $20,000 of design services; that might include things like a site analysis, a preliminary floor plan, or a proposal for a work plan, according to a press release.

Even if Hosutonians aren't architecture fanatics, they probably know MHOA's work, especially if they're foodies. The office has worked on Loro, Oporto Fooding House, the M-K-T development, the Heights Mercantile development, and other visually-striking buildings.

The goal of the Design for All Initiative is to help local nonprofits deliver more fully on their community work by giving them more functional spaces to work from.

“Working on Design For All projects reminds us why we became designers,” said MHOA senior associate Chet Morgan in the release. “This work serves as a reminder that thoughtful collaboration can unlock new possibilities long before construction begins.”

Last year's recipient was American YouthWorks, which used its grant to update its existing space, which it had "outgrown," according to a release at the time. Other past recipients include Central Texas Table of Grace (2024), Abigail E. Keller Foundation (2024), The Women’s Home and Children’s Assessment Center (2023), and Austin Angels (2022).

“Design For All has become one of the most meaningful ways we connect our work to the communities we care about,” said MHOA founder and principle Michael Hsu. “With our first Design For All project for Austin Angels completing construction this year, we’re especially proud of how the program continues to grow. As we prepare to open applications for this year’s program, we’re excited to meet the next nonprofit that’s prepared to imagine great possibilities with the support of design.”

Interested nonprofits can submit applications through Google Forms.

MHOA offers the following timeline for the process going forward:

Call for Entries – March 10
Questions due – April 10
Q&A posted on website – April 24
Submission Deadline – May 15 at 5 pm
Shortlist Interviews – June 8-19
Partnership announced – June 26

More information about the Design for All initiative, including more specific eligibility requirements, is available at hsuoffice.com.

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better luck next year

Houston declines on list of best places for celebrating July 4th

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