New York Is Best For Halloween, According To New Study

Members of Thriller NYC dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” during New York City’s 48th Annual Village Halloween Parade in 2021. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

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If you are looking for the best Halloween experience, travel with your kids, family or the kid-within-yourself to the New York metropolitan area, a new study says.

New York City has the most candy stores per capita, the second-most Halloween costume shops per capita and its residents search Google for “Halloween parties” and related terms more than people in any other city, according to the study by personal-finance website WalletHub. It’s easy to go trick-or-treating, because New York has the nation’s highest population density and the second-highest walkability score for ringing doorbells for candy handouts.

To determine the best Halloween destinations, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities based on three categories: trick-or-treater friendliness, Halloween fun and Halloween weather. Trick-or-treater friendliness was given the most weight and weather the least when determining the rankings. Twenty metrics were evaluated in the three categories, including share of the population younger than age 15, pedestrian fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes and number of Halloween costume stores and Halloween supply stores per capita.

Just across the Hudson River from Manhattan in New Jersey, Jersey City ranks No. 2 and Newark No. 10 for best Halloween experience. Los Angeles is rated No. 3, followed, consecutively, by Chicago and Las Vegas.

Model Heidi Klum performs Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ during Heidi Klum’s 18th Annual Halloween Party at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in New York in 2017. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)

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Jersey City also “provides a perfect environment” for trick-or-treating, the study says, because it has the second-highest population density and the third-highest walkability score.

“Safety is key on Halloween, too, and Jersey City has the 15th-lowest violent crime rate and the fifth-lowest property crime rate in the U.S.,” the study concludes. “It also has the 10th-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.”

No. 3 Los Angeles has a very high number of pumpkin patches and Halloween party supply stores per capita. It also has the seventh-most Halloween costume stores and 10th-most candy stores per capita. The city’s population density ranks 14th and its walkability score 11th.

“Teens who have aged out of trick-or-treating can benefit from the fact that Los Angeles has the 10th-most amusement parks and the most movie theaters per capita,” the study finds. “And, for adults who are looking for a thrill, Los Angeles has the sixth-most haunted houses per capita.”

Rounding out the top 10 for best Halloween experience are No. 6 Miami, followed, consecutively, by Anaheim, California; Boston; Gilbert, Arizona, and Newark.

The average U.S. household is expected this year to spend $114.45 on Halloween decorations, treats and costumes, WalletHub says. Collectively, that’s about $13.1 billion spent by the 73% of American households that celebrate Halloween.

“Halloween holds a big place in American popular culture, and we collectively spend billions of dollars celebrating every year,” says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “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.”