Stars, stripes and shopping carts: What Americans buy for the Fourth of July
Few holidays show up in Instacart orders quite like the Fourth of July. Fire up the grill, open that bag of chips, and pack the cooler because Independence Day is summer at its peak, filled with plenty of food and festive traditions.
Instacart looked at what Americans buy across thousands of grocery categories and the result is a primo backyard cookout shopping list, written in data.
Key Takeaways
- The BBQ cookout is king. Hot dog buns (+360% vs. their yearly average), sweet corn (+453%), and canned baked beans (+402%) were all purchased more often on July 4th than on any other day in 2025.
- Chips top the table. Potato chips claimed the single largest share of any Fourth of July category, peaking 53% above their typical day. Lay's leads in most states, but every region has its loyalist pick (the brand that punches hardest on home turf): Cape Cod across New England, Herr's in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey corridor, Zapp's in Louisiana, and Maui Style in Hawai‘i.
- Regional flavors run deep. Mississippi leads the nation on baked beans (+130%). The Plains states (South Dakota, Nebraska, Delaware) light up for sweet corn. Roma tomatoes spike +138% in Texas and +99% in California. And green limes surge +82% nationally, led by the Southwest.
- S’mores have their moment. Orders containing graham crackers, marshmallows, and a chocolate bar peaked on July 4 at roughly +550% above their yearly average.
America’s Top 10 Fourth of July Categories
No Independence Day cookout is complete without chips, hot dogs, and corn — and the data backs it up.
But what else is a must-have for an epic backyard BBQ cookout? Here are the top 10 categories that hit their biggest day of the year on July 4. Each is ranked by its share of that day's total orders, with the percentage showing how much busier that day was compared to normal.
Every State's July 4th Go-To
National favorites aren’t loved equally everywhere. For each category, the interactive map shows how a state’s item share during Fourth of July week (June 30-July 6) compares to the national average — orange states over-index, green states trail the nation. A few standouts worth knowing:
- Green limes light up the Southwest. California (+86%), New Mexico (+53%), and Arizona (+46%) are leading the country. Out west, any holiday is a good excuse to have salsa, guacamole, and margaritas. The Fourth of July is no exception.
- Roma tomatoes spike hardest in Texas (+138%) and California (+99%). Two states with serious foodies, scorching summer heat, and a strong argument for salsa — or tomato-topped queso — on the table.
- Canned baked beans are a Southern institution. Mississippi (+130%) and Georgia (+86%) lead the nation, and if you've ever been to a backyard cookout in either state, you already know why. The smoker deserves some — but not all — the credit.
- Popsicles over-index in Utah (+22%), Ohio (+21%), and Kentucky (+19%). Florida (-38%) and Hawai‘i (-40%)? Not so much. When it's warm enough for popsicles 365 days a year, the Fourth of July doesn't move the needle the same way.
- Sweet corn is a Plains and Midwest staple, but the biggest over-indexers in the country are South Dakota (+88%), beating out Delaware (+84%) and most of the actual Corn Belt. Make it make sense.
Hot Dogs vs. Hamburgers: A Nation Divided
Not everyone agrees about what should go on their hot dog or hamburger, but most will agree about what they go in: buns. And since hot dog and hamburger buns both rank among July 4th's Top 10 categories, we can deduce which grillables people are making just by looking at what buns they're buying — an easy way to get the full picture.
The map below shows whether it was hot dog or hamburger buns that took the lead in each state during Fourth of July week.
Turns out, the country splits almost perfectly down the middle: hot dog buns ruled in 25 states and Washington D.C., while hamburger buns also took 25 states.
Hot dogs rule the Northeast corridor, including New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and D.C. plus big states like California, Texas, and Illinois. It makes sense, given that New York has been selling hot dogs from Coney Island since 1871 and Chicago will tell you they perfected the style. Some traditions become permanent parts of the culture.
Hamburgers own the West and Plains, where Alaska, Montana and Idaho lean “burger” hardest. Out there, the grill has always been more about the patty.
Which Chip Brand Punches Above Its Weight?
Ask who sells the most potato chips and Lay’s wins almost everywhere.
Chip lovers have strong brand loyalties, so Instacart mapped out which brand stands out in each state by finding where local market share most exceeds national share.
The regional loyalties really show:
- Utz across the Mid-Atlantic
- Cape Cod all over New England
- Kettle Brand in the Pacific Northwest
- Herr’s in the Pennsylvania–New Jersey corridor
Plus one-state icons like:
- Zapp’s in Louisiana
- Better Made in Michigan
- Maui Style in Hawai‘i
The S’mores Spike
Ask anyone what the perfect ending to a Fourth of July cookout looks like. Chances are, it involves a campfire and some marshmallows.
Instacart tracked orders containing all three s’mores ingredients (graham crackers, marshmallows, and a chocolate bar) across 2025. The share of orders for s’mores bumps along all year, then erupts right at Independence Day, peaking July 4 at nearly 550% above the yearly average.
When it comes to the chocolate bar on the s’mores, America is not experimenting. Of the orders during the July 4 week, 95% included Hershey's. Some childhood loyalties never waver.
July 4 is the undisputed champion of s'mores season, but Memorial Day (+329% above the yearly average) and Labor Day (+219% above the yearly average) make a strong case that s'mores are a summer-long weekend staple.
From hot dogs and hamburgers to chips and s’mores, the data makes one thing clear: When Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s a tasty affair.
This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
