Best Cities for Halloween (2025)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterOct 22, 2024

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Oct 22, 2024

People love Halloween for a number of different reasons: candy, costumes, horror films, haunted houses, parties and more. If you’re one of the many Americans who count down to this holiday from the beginning of autumn, then you’ll want to make sure you’re in the most spook-tacular part of America on Oct. 31.

To determine the best locations for Halloween, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on 20 key metrics. They range from costume stores per capita to the crime rate to the share of potential trick-or-treat stops.

To learn more about the holiday, check out WalletHub’s Halloween Facts: Tricks & Treats By the Numbers infographic.

“Halloween holds a big place in American popular culture, and we collectively spend billions of dollars celebrating every year. At the same time, it’s also a holiday that comes with a certain amount of risk, given that children visit strangers’ houses in the dark. The best cities for Halloween are those that provide the safest conditions for celebrating, along with an abundance of activities, Halloween-related stores and good weather.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Cities for Halloween

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Trick-or-Treater-Friendliness Rank	Halloween Fun Rank	Halloween Weather Rank
1	New York, NY	71.83	2	3	29
2	Jersey City, NJ	63.45	1	91	62
3	Miami, FL	60.77	22	5	32
4	Las Vegas, NV	59.25	40	1	93
5	Chicago, IL	59.20	9	14	20
6	Los Angeles, CA	58.98	27	4	57
7	Washington, DC	57.46	13	41	8
8	Anaheim, CA	56.82	23	9	40
9	Boston, MA	56.13	5	65	68
10	Gilbert, AZ	54.52	3	49	89
11	Newark, NJ	54.40	4	96	47
12	San Diego, CA	54.12	42	6	91
13	San Francisco, CA	54.01	20	24	35
14	Hialeah, FL	53.99	7	76	42
15	Santa Ana, CA	53.98	6	42	86
16	Orlando, FL	53.75	89	2	23
17	Laredo, TX	52.99	8	95	40
18	Buffalo, NY	52.93	17	48	12
19	San Jose, CA	52.48	31	16	62
20	Philadelphia, PA	52.28	19	40	29
21	Honolulu, HI	52.23	36	13	54
22	Cincinnati, OH	52.21	59	10	4
23	Tampa, FL	51.44	52	12	16
24	Chula Vista, CA	51.39	12	34	87
25	St. Paul, MN	50.48	10	81	70
26	Irvine, CA	50.00	11	84	57
27	El Paso, TX	49.62	25	51	22
28	Sacramento, CA	49.46	60	17	16
29	Virginia Beach, VA	48.73	35	43	35
30	Minneapolis, MN	48.55	37	29	83
31	Irving, TX	48.32	21	90	43
32	Pittsburgh, PA	48.12	50	36	12
33	Garland, TX	47.63	15	85	77
34	Long Beach, CA	47.62	18	45	95
34	Plano, TX	47.62	16	80	80
36	Arlington, TX	47.42	26	71	76
37	Chandler, AZ	47.22	14	68	89
38	Fort Wayne, IN	47.10	32	92	7
39	Fremont, CA	47.02	30	74	47
40	Colorado Springs, CO	46.80	47	60	2
41	Phoenix, AZ	46.70	70	8	100
42	Reno, NV	46.68	63	22	56
43	Riverside, CA	46.64	43	35	71
44	Boise, ID	46.61	33	54	78
45	Bakersfield, CA	46.56	54	27	66
46	Portland, OR	46.37	76	26	2
47	Fresno, CA	46.29	41	38	79
48	Louisville, KY	46.28	87	18	10
49	Toledo, OH	46.04	53	77	6
50	Fort Worth, TX	46.01	39	57	54
51	Columbus, OH	45.84	48	73	14
52	Lexington-Fayette, KY	45.84	57	63	8
53	Lincoln, NE	45.84	29	87	74
54	Omaha, NE	45.39	28	75	75
55	Milwaukee, WI	45.16	46	72	53
56	Dallas, TX	45.14	61	28	67
57	Charlotte, NC	45.06	62	37	23
58	Atlanta, GA	44.89	93	7	62
59	Indianapolis, IN	44.74	77	30	15
60	Madison, WI	44.70	38	83	72
61	Denver, CO	43.84	67	31	59
62	Baltimore, MD	43.66	55	55	47
63	Stockton, CA	43.61	45	88	35
64	San Antonio, TX	43.43	75	15	92
65	Houston, TX	43.26	81	21	80
66	Seattle, WA	43.25	51	47	84
67	North Las Vegas, NV	43.14	24	98	94
68	Lubbock, TX	43.02	72	78	1
69	Tucson, AZ	42.98	90	20	33
70	Chesapeake, VA	42.81	44	82	59
71	Cleveland, OH	42.62	80	53	4
72	Glendale, AZ	42.36	58	44	80
73	Oklahoma City, OK	42.34	65	50	44
74	Oakland, CA	41.83	66	59	47
75	Greensboro, NC	41.75	85	39	29
76	Mesa, AZ	41.29	49	52	99
77	Wichita, KS	41.28	69	69	52
78	Raleigh, NC	41.08	71	61	35
79	Austin, TX	41.06	74	25	98
80	Henderson, NV	40.93	34	97	96
81	Scottsdale, AZ	40.91	79	23	97
82	Corpus Christi, TX	40.48	56	79	88
83	St. Louis, MO	39.96	96	19	19
84	New Orleans, LA	39.72	97	11	34
85	St. Petersburg, FL	39.43	83	64	47
86	Jacksonville, FL	39.37	88	58	23
87	Durham, NC	39.25	64	94	35
88	San Bernardino, CA	39.22	68	86	85
89	Detroit, MI	39.06	92	46	11
90	Tulsa, OK	38.83	84	67	69
91	Aurora, CO	38.33	73	93	59
92	Albuquerque, NM	38.29	95	33	28
93	Norfolk, VA	38.05	78	89	62
94	Winston-Salem, NC	36.95	86	100	23
95	Kansas City, MO	36.52	91	62	45
96	Birmingham, AL	36.38	98	32	16
97	Anchorage, AK	36.10	82	99	73
98	Nashville, TN	35.57	94	70	23
99	Baton Rouge, LA	32.04	99	56	45
100	Memphis, TN	29.81	100	66	21

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

% of Potential Trick-or-Treaters

Highest

Highest
1. Laredo, TX
2. Bakersfield, CA
3. Gilbert, AZ
4. Fresno, CA
5. San Bernardino, CA

Lowest

Lowest
96. Boston, MA
97. Pittsburgh, PA
98. Seattle, WA
99. San Francisco, CA
100. Scottsdale, AZ

% of Potential Trick-or-Treat Stops

Highest

Highest
1. Hialeah, FL
2. Santa Ana, CA
3. Gilbert, AZ
4. Chesapeake, VA
5. Madison, WI

Lowest

Lowest
96. Baton Rouge, LA
97. St. Petersburg, FL
98. New Orleans, LA
99. Birmingham, AL
100. Detroit, MI

Crime Rate

Lowest

Lowest
1. Gilbert, AZ
2. Irvine, CA
3. Virginia Beach, VA
4. Boise, ID
5. Jersey City, NJ

Highest

Highest
96. Denver, CO
97. Detroit, MI
98. Oakland, CA
99. St. Louis, MO
100. Memphis, TN

Costume Stores per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. New Orleans, LA
T-1. Orlando, FL

Fewest

Fewest
95. Oakland, CA
96. Detroit, MI
97. Winston-Salem, NC
98. Durham, NC
99. Newark, NJ

Candy & Chocolate Stores per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. New York, NY
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Honolulu, HI
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Orlando, FL

Fewest

Fewest
96. Winston-Salem, NC
97. Fremont, CA
98. Norfolk, VA
99. Chesapeake, VA
100. Hialeah, FL

Halloween Weather Forecast

Best

Best
1. Lubbock, TX
T-2. Portland, OR
T-2. Colorado Springs, CO
T-4. Cincinnati, OH
T-4. Cleveland, OH

Worst

Worst
96. Henderson, NV
97. Scottsdale, AZ
98. Austin, TX
99. Mesa, AZ
100. Phoenix, AZ

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for Halloween

New York, NY

New York City is the best place to be on Halloween, boasting the second-most Halloween costume shops and the most candy stores per capita. Its residents also search Google for “Halloween parties” and related terms more than people in any other city.

On top of that, New York has the highest population density in the country, and it’s the third-most walkable city. That means it’s easy to go trick-or-treating and get a lot of candy.

When it comes to other Halloween activities, New York also has the second-most movie theaters per capita and the 17th-most haunted houses, along with many amusement parks.

Jersey City, NJ

Jersey City, NJ, is the second-best city for Halloween, in part because it has the second-highest population density and is the fourth-most walkable city in the country, which provides a perfect environment for trick-or-treating.

Safety is key on Halloween, too, and Jersey city has the ninth-lowest violent crime rate and the sixth-lowest property crime rate in the U.S. It also has the second-lowest pedestrian fatality rate.

Finally, Jersey City has a very high number of movie theaters per capita, providing good opportunities to celebrate with a scary movie.

Miami, FL

Miami is the third-best city for Halloween, and it has a very high number of pumpkin patches and Halloween party supply stores per capita. It also has the ninth-most Halloween costume stores and ninth-most candy stores per capita, making it easy to grab all of the essentials for the holiday.

Miami also has plenty of places to go trick-or-treating, with the sixth-highest population density in the nation. It’s the sixth-most walkable city, too.

Teens who have aged out of trick-or-treating can benefit from the fact that Miami has the 14th-most amusement parks and ninth-most movie theaters per capita. And for adults who want to party, Miami has the 13th-most bars and clubs per capita.

Ask the Experts

Halloween can be more than playing dress-up and hoarding sweet treats. It’s also a big holiday expense for many American households. We’ve asked a panel of experts to share their financial wisdom for keeping Halloween budgets in check as well as strategies for making sure young trick-or-treaters stay safe. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

How can the process of collecting and allocating Halloween candy be used to teach children about personal finance?
What are some strategies for celebrating Halloween without breaking the bank?
In evaluating the best cities for Halloween, what are the top five indicators?
What measures should local authorities take to ensure kids are safe when trick-or-treating?

Ask the Experts

Cassandra D. Chaney
Ph.D. – J. Franklin Bayhi Endowed Professor, School of Social Work/Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), College of Human Sciences and Education – Louisiana State University
Read More

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management – Lynn University
Read More

Miriam Mulsow
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences – Texas Tech University
Read More

Judith A. Myers-Walls
Ph.D. – Certified Family Life Educator; Professor Emerita, Human Development & Family Science – Purdue University
Read More

Laura Bloom
Ph.D., CFLE – Professor, Human Development and Family Studies; Faculty Director- Child Study Center; Director- Certified Family Life Education Program, Department of Consumer and Human Sciences – University of Montevallo
Read More

Erica Jordan
Ph.D., CFLE – Clinical Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, College of Education – University of Houston
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best Halloween destinations, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across three key dimensions: 1) Trick-or-Treater-Friendliness, 2) Halloween Fun and 3) Halloween Weather.

We evaluated those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a Halloween celebration. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we calculated the population size using the square root of the population in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded cities in the surrounding metro area.

Trick-or-Treater-Friendliness – Total Points: 60

Share of Potential Trick-or-Treaters: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of the population aged 14 and younger.
Share of Potential Trick-or-Treat Stops: Half Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of occupied housing units.
Population Density: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Walk Score: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Note: “Walk Score” measures walkability and pedestrian friendliness by analyzing population density and road metrics such as block length and intersection density.
Crime Rate: Double Weight (~11.43 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for neighborhood security.
Motor Vehicle Crash Related Pedestrian Fatality Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Perception of Safety (Safety walking alone during daylight/night): Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Note: These data are based on perceptions of visitors of Numbeo website in the past 3 years. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

Halloween Fun – Total Points: 30

Google Search Index for “Halloween Parties”: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Halloween Costume Stores per Capita*: Double Weight (~5.22 Points)
Halloween Party Supply Stores per Capita*: Double Weight (~5.22 Points)
Candy & Chocolate Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Haunted Houses per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Farms per Capita*: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
Pumpkin Patches per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Movie Theaters per Capita*: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for horror films timed with Halloween.
Average Price per Movie Ticket: Half Weight (~1.30 Points)
Bars & Dance Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)
Number of Amusement Parks: Full Weight (~2.61 Points)

Halloween Weather – Total Points: 10

Halloween Temperature vs. Average Temperature: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the difference between the average forecasted temperature for Halloween and the average normal temperature for this time period.
Forecasted Halloween Precipitation: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of September 24, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Transportation - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Council for Community and Economic Research, AccuWeather, Walk Score, Yelp, Numbeo and Google Ads.

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