Study Reveals What Percentage of Americans Have Pizza on July 4

Fourth of July weekend is only a few days away, and for many Americans that means a chance to break out the grill. Hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs and grilled chicken have been staples on July 4th for decades, but the younger generation could bring about a change in traditions.

New research from Empower shows that over two in every five millenials and Gen Z-ers are ordering pizza for the Fourth of July instead of barbecuing. 

The main driver for the change is cost, as 32% of those surveyed said they would be opting for a pizza pie this year.

68% of those surveyed said that cookouts are noticeably more expensive to host for the holiday this year. Around half attributed that to inflation, while even more people cited rising grocery costs and impending tariffs.

Roughly 40% said they plan to spend less on the Fourth of July this year, and around half have noticed a change in the cost of items associated with their traditional barbecue.

Many have asked their friends and family to pitch in for their celebrations this year, with Gen Z and millennials opting for a more community-based approach.

34% of the people surveyed said that they would skip Fourth of July celebrations entirely, but more than 60% say they're focused on finding a way to celebrate regardless of how much it may end up costing.

Some of the people surveyed noted that they would take advantage of another benefit of a holiday weekend: sales on big ticket items like mattresses and appliances.

58% of those surveyed said that they were eying Fourth of July sales, and 49% of millennials report waiting for those sales for big items. That's in contrast to 22% of boomers when it comes to the same sales.

Empower surveyed 2,200 Americans in late June for these results, and the demographics and ranges covered are considered by the company to be representative of American adults.

We'll see if that's the case this week, as it seems that local pizzerias may be flooded with more calls than usual from citizens looking to celebrate Independence Day.