Fourth of July spending by the numbers

Like any good party, a proper Fourth of July celebration requires shelling out big bucks.

Americans will spend more than $7 billion on cookouts and other celebrations of the Declaration of Independence, up from $6.8 billion in 2016, according to a report by the National Retail Federation.

But that's not all. As the nation kicks off the festivities, here is a breakdown of the top July 4 expenses across the country, according to personal finance website WalletHub.

Naturally, flags are a top seller on this holiday with more than $5 million worth of U.S. flags imported into the country, mostly from China.

An estimated 44.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home between Friday and Tuesday, according to the AAA. But the good news for those on the road is that gas prices are the cheapest they've been in years. Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of gas is $2.24, down from $2.28 last week. (Plus, 3 tricks to save on gas.)

Americans will fire up the grill, spending $388 million on hamburger patties, $389 million on barbecue chicken, $133 million on buns and $37 million just on ketchup — not to mention other provisions on Independence Day.

Thirsty? The Fourth of July is the country's top beer-drinking holiday with more than $1 billion spent on cold brews last year alone — more than the cost of burgers and hot dogs combined. (Another $568 million was spent on wine.)

Of course, no Fourth of July party is complete without fireworks. Altogether Americans spent more than $800 million on fireworks in 2016, with many municipalities shelling out $5,000 to $30,000 to host their own display.