The basics:
- Jersey City ranks No. 2, Newark No. 10 in WalletHub survey
- Cities scored on trick-or-treater friendliness, fun & weather
- Jersey City leads in safety, walkability, family-friendly activities
- Top 5 US Halloween cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas
Jersey City and Newark are among the best cities in the U.S. to celebrate Halloween, according to a new WalletHub survey.
When it came to the 100 “most spook-tacular” places to be on the third-most-popular holiday in the country, Jersey City took the No. 2 spot, while Newark ranked No. 10.
For the list, the personal finance website said it considered a variety of factors, such as costume stores per capita, pedestrian safety, average temperatures, population density, crime rates, walkability and share of potential trick-or-treat stops.
The final ranking broke down the metrics into three categories:
- Trick-or-treater friendliness population density, crime rate, vehicle versus pedestrian related crashes, perception of safety and more
- Halloween fun Halloween costume, party supply and candy stores per capita; farms and pumpkin patches per capita; and how many bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and entertainment attractions are in the area
- Halloween weather temperature of the weather on the holiday versus a location’s average temperature, in addition to the amount of precipitation forecasted for Halloween
Jersey City came in at No. 1 for trick-or-treater friendliness, No. 95 for fun and No. 62 for weather. Newark placed No. 5 for trick-or-treater friendliness, No. 97 for fun and No. 47 for weather, the results said.
According to WalletHub, Jersey City’s high population density and walkability “provides a perfect environment for trick-or-treating.”
Highs and lows
“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. 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,” the website said.
Overall, New York ranked as the best place to spend Halloween. After Jersey City, Los Angeles (No. 3), Chicago (No. 4) and Las Vegas (No. 5) rounded out the top 5 cities.
The lowest ranking cities were Anchorage (No. 96), Nashville (No. 97), Birmingham (No. 98) Baton Rouge (No. 99) and Memphis (No. 100).
Commenting on the findings, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said, “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.”
That’s a lot of candy
According to the National Retail Federation, 73% of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween this year. That’s in line with last year’s 72%, NRF said.
A survey commissioned by the trade group found that households plan to dole out an average of $114.45 on costumes, candy and decorations, with total spending expected to reach $13.1 billion. Last year, consumers spent a record $11.6 billion to celebrate Halloween.
Top holiday activities include handing out candy (66%), dressing up in costume (51%), and decorating homes or yards (51%).
Compared with last year, more people also plan to carve a pumpkin (46%), throw or attend a party (32%), visit a haunted house (24%) or dress up their pets (23%), the report said.
Candy continues to be the most popular purchase, with total spending expected to reach $3.9 billion. Across other categories, 71% plan to purchase costumes and spending is expected to reach $4.3 billion.
Another 78% plan to purchase decorations, up from 75% last year, and will spend an estimated $4.2 billion in total. And 38% plan to purchase greeting cards, an increase from 2024’s 33%, with total spending estimated at $700 million.
“Even with concerns about price increases due to tariffs, Halloween continues to resonate with consumers of all ages,” NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in a statement. “Whether it’s dressing in costume or carving a pumpkin, more consumers plan to take part in Halloween activities and traditions.”
