As America celebrates its 250th birthday, new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation finds families paying more for cookout and party supplies, cities cancel firework displays due to Trump’s tariffs
New analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation finds that meats, sides, desserts, and party staples all cost more as Americans prepare to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday. Backyard burgers will take a bigger bite out of family budgets, with ground beef prices up more than 20% over the last year and the price of hot dogs rising more than four times the rate of overall inflation. Classic summer sides are also getting pricier, with potato salad up 23% and strawberries up 20% – as Trump’s war in Iran drives up the price of fertilizer and plastic packaging. Families looking to beat the heat won’t find much relief, either: bagged ice is up 13% and ice pops cost 22% more than last year.
Even fireworks this year are turning out to be a bust. Across the country, cities like Ferguson, Missouri and Sultan, Washington, are shrinking or canceling Fourth of July fireworks displays after the cost of putting on a show skyrocketed by as much as 400%, driven by Trump’s chaotic tariffs on imported goods from China.
Working families continue to feel the heat as prices rise faster than paychecks for millions of Americans. Inflation remains elevated thanks to the president’s war in Iran, eliminating wage gains made in the last year. With two in three Americans saying Trump’s high prices have impacted their summer plans, this Independence Day will not be going out with a bang.
Groundwork’s Executive Director, Lindsay Owens, shared her reaction:
“As Americans fire up the grill this Fourth of July, they’ll feel the heat of summer price hikes. As popsicle prices spike and A/C bills skyrocket, working families will be forced to sweat in the face of high price tags. Thanks to Trump’s tariffs and foreign wars, Americans won’t find any independence from inflation this Fourth of July.”
Janelle Jones, Visiting Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, shared the following:
“This Fourth of July, the cost of a simple backyard cookout is a symbol of everything that’s gone wrong in our current economy. From ground beef that’s 20% more expensive, to small towns canceling fireworks due to cost, to families having to choose between buying ice pops and running the A/C, honoring America’s birthday is increasingly a source of financial stress, not celebration, for millions of families.”
Independence Day Downer: Prices for many Fourth of July favorites up 20%
