Instacart reveals 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.

We 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 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 Hawaii.
• 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 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 Hawaii (-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 is South Dakota (+88%) beating out Delaware (+84%) and most of the actual Corn Belt. Make it make sense.