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Whether you're one of those shoppers budgeting for Halloween decor items in August or you think that spooky season should be strictly confined to October, Halloween is always a fun time of year. From pumpkin patches, to haunted houses, to trick or treating, there are so many seasonal ways to celebrate. But are some cities better for getting spooked than others?
To find the best Halloweentowns in the United States, the FinanceBuzz team compared over 75 of the biggest U.S. cities using factors like the availability of candy stores, the number of haunted locations (both "real" and artificial), online search volume for Halloween-related terms, and more to measure each city's spooky spirit.
Key findings
- Salt Lake City, Utah, is the 2025 winner for the best Halloweentown in the U.S.
- Three Ohio cities ranked within the top ten, making Ohio one of the best states for getting a Halloween fix.
- Only two other states have multiple cities in the top 20. Riverside and Oakland in California are both in the top 10, while the Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Madison make the top 20.
- More than a third of America's top 20 Halloweentowns, seven states in total, are located in the Midwest.
How we chose these metrics and cities
- Candy stores (per capita): While just about everyone can find affordable Halloween candy at big chain retailers, stores that specialize in selling sweet treats feel just a little more festive and make it easier to find unique and memorable candy to give to trick-or-treaters.
- Costume shops (per capita): For some people, a mass-produced costume bought off the rack is all they need, but for those looking to take things up a notch, access to dedicated costume shops can help them put together an unforgettable costume.
- Spirit Halloween locations (per capita): Every year, as fall approaches, the familiar orange and yellow banners of Spirit Halloween stores start popping up on defunct retail locations across the country. These seasonal stores typically open in places that Spirit Halloween has determined to have high demand for Halloween costumes and decor.
- Halloween parties and events (per capita): Halloween is a communal holiday, so cities with lots of Halloween-themed parties and events better represent the Halloween spirit.
- "Real" haunted locations (per capita): For some people nothing beats the thrills and chills that come with exploring buildings and locations with a real-life haunted history at Halloween.
- Haunted house attractions (per capita): For many, visiting a haunted house is an essential part of Halloween, and cities with more haunted attractions make it easier for people to experience the fun.
- Pumpkin patches (per capita): Halloween isn't just about spooks and scares, it's also about fun and creativity. That's why visiting a pumpkin patch and finding the perfect pumpkin to turn into a jack-o-lantern is a quintessential part of Halloween.
- Fall weather: Lots of Halloween activities, including pumpkin patches and trick-or-treating, involve the outdoors, and cities with a comfortable climate in the fall months make it easier for people to get out and celebrate.
- Halloween Spirit: Cities with the highest search volume for holiday-specific terms such as "Halloween parties" and "Halloween costumes" indicate that people who live in those cities are more enthusiastic about Halloween.
The top Halloweentowns in the U.S.
After calculating all those factors for 75 of the biggest cities across America, we were able to identify the top 20 cities in the country when it comes to celebrating Halloween.
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The majority of America's top Halloweentowns are located in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the country — areas that tend to have the traditional "fall chill" in the air that many associate with Halloween. Still, despite a lack of traditional fall weather, cities located in the South and on the West Coast have enough Halloween spirit to make up a little more than a quarter of the top 20.
A detailed breakdown of America's top 10 Halloweentowns
1. Salt Lake City, Utah
Though it may seem like a spooky surprise to many, Utahns are particularly obsessed with Halloween. With that context, it isn't surprising to see the state's capital and biggest city named as America's top Halloweentown this year. On a per capita basis, SLC has the second-highest number of costume shops in the country and also lands in the top 10 when it comes to candy stores, haunted houses, and pumpkin patches per 100,000 people.
2. Riverside, California
Located near Los Angeles, dressing up for Halloween is a big deal in Riverside. The city boasts more costume shops per capita than any other city in the country, and the fourth most Spirit Halloween locations. It appears those costumes are being put to good use providing Riverside residents with seasonal scares, as Riverside has 7.2 haunted house attractions per 100,000 people, the second-highest rate of any city.
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No city spends more time looking up Halloween-related terms online, as Pittsburgh's average search volume for terms like "Halloween parties" and "trick-or-treating" is 77.8/100, the highest of any city in the country. Pittsburgh also boosts its Halloween bonafides with a bevy of candy stores — ranking fifth in the country with 23.4 stores per 100,000 people. Finally, Pittsburgh has the eighth most Halloween parties and events per capita of anywhere in the country.
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is the first of three Ohio cities in the top 10, and trails only Pittsburgh when it comes to average search volume for Halloween search terms. Beyond Google Trends volume, Cincy has high per capita numbers of candy stores and pumpkin patches — landing in the top five for both metrics.
5. Toledo, Ohio
Centrally located between the cities of Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Columbus, citizens of Toledo have relatively easy access to events and activities in and around all those cities as well as Toledo-specific ones. As a result, Toledo takes the number one spot in our rankings in terms of the number of Spirit Halloween stores per 100,000 people, ranks third for pumpkin patches per capita, and is in the top 10 when it comes to number of haunted house attractions.
6. Cleveland, Ohio
No matter which city it is, Ohioans seem to love Googling Halloween topics. Cleveland searches for Halloween-specific terms on Google at a volume that is just slightly lower than Cincinnati (and Toledo), but one that is still high enough to rank as the fourth-highest of any city in the country. Cleveland also ranks very highly when it comes to the number of Spirit stores, pumpkin patches, and Halloween parties and events relative to the population that are available in and around the city.
7. Oakland, California
Oakland has 32.8 candy stores for every 100,000 people, a rate that is the second highest of any city, and the seventh highest rate of per capita costume shops. What really sets Oakland apart, however, is the fact that there are 4.6 "real" haunted locations in the city for every 100,000 people, a rate that is one of the three highest in the entire country.
8. Hartford, Connecticut
Located less than 150 miles from some of America's biggest cities, including Boston and New York, residents of Hartford are just a few hours away from Halloween shops and attractions in those metropolises, as well as everything in between. As a result, Hartford is among the top-ranking cities when it comes to multiple spooky season staples, including pumpkin patches, haunts (both real and fake), and costume stores per capita.
9. Buffalo, New York
Similar to Hartford, Buffalo's relatively close proximity to Toronto gives residents increased access to Halloween-themed businesses and celebrations. Buffalo boasts 16.7 Spirit Halloween stores per 100,000 people, the second-highest rate in the country, while also ranking third when it comes to candy stores per capita (31.3 per 100,000). Buffalo also ranks fifth in the country in terms of Halloween parties and events per capita.
10. St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is the only city with more candy stores relative to population than Buffalo, making the Lou the perfect city to celebrate the sweet side of Halloween. St. Louis can provide some genuine spooks as well, as the city has the sixth-highest number of "real" haunted locations per capita of any city.
Full Halloweentown rankings
| City | Overall city score | Candy stores per 100K | Costume shops per 100K | Spirit Halloweens per 100K | Haunted houses Per 100k | "Real" haunts per 100K | Fall climate index score | Pumpkin patches per 100K | Average search volume for Halloween phrases | Halloween parties and events per 100K |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 85.5 | 23.4 | 11.5 | 8.6 | 6.2 | 2.4 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 64.3 | 73.0 |
| Riverside, CA | 84.7 | 18.8 | 18.2 | 15.7 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 8.9 | 3.4 | 58.3 | 62.7 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 82.3 | 23.4 | 6.3 | 11.2 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 7.7 | 5.3 | 77.8 | 82.1 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 78.9 | 23.5 | 6.8 | 9.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 7.9 | 7.1 | 71.0 | 75.2 |
| Toledo, OH | 78.7 | 9.0 | 2.6 | 17.7 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 70.5 | 75.4 |
| Cleveland, OH | 77.9 | 15.4 | 5.0 | 11.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 70.3 | 96.5 |
| Oakland, CA | 76.9 | 32.8 | 8.2 | 11.5 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 9.1 | 4.1 | 47.3 | 91.6 |
| Hartford, CT | 73.5 | 5.8 | 9.2 | 10.0 | 8.4 | 10.0 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 51.3 | 41.8 |
| Buffalo, NY | 72.6 | 31.3 | 5.1 | 16.7 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 7.1 | 4.4 | 67.0 | 91.0 |
| St. Louis, MO | 71.3 | 33.4 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 8.2 | 6.7 | 62.8 | 75.6 |
| Baltimore, MD | 70.7 | 12.0 | 3.5 | 8.8 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 8.3 | 5.3 | 51.8 | 34.1 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 70.1 | 17.3 | 6.6 | 10.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 7.2 | 11.2 | 58.3 | 65.6 |
| Orlando, FL | 70.1 | 17.8 | 9.7 | 14.7 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 50.7 | 55.8 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 69.0 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 8.9 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 7.4 | 4.6 | 69.7 | 98.0 |
| Providence, RI | 67.9 | 7.9 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 7.6 | 6.3 | 63.7 | 26.2 |
| Richmond, VA | 66.1 | 9.2 | 2.6 | 15.7 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 8.4 | 4.4 | 55.0 | 76.3 |
| Madison, WI | 65.8 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 11.4 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 58.0 | 74.2 |
| Boston, MA | 64.7 | 9.8 | 4.4 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 7.6 | 4.6 | 53.8 | 42.7 |
| Seattle, WA | 62.7 | 11.7 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 45.7 | 44.3 |
| Atlanta, GA | 62.5 | 19.4 | 8.4 | 5.7 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 8.5 | 2.9 | 46.5 | 68.9 |
| San Francisco, CA | 60.8 | 16.3 | 3.0 | 9.3 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 9.0 | 3.2 | 47.3 | 48.2 |
| Sacramento, CA | 59.5 | 8.9 | 3.4 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 56.3 | 80.7 |
| Washington, DC | 59.3 | 5.7 | 3.2 | 7.4 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 8.3 | 4.0 | 43.8 | 67.7 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 59.2 | 17.4 | 7.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 52.7 | 31.3 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 57.7 | 10.0 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 8.2 | 3.4 | 59.3 | 96.7 |
| Detroit, MI | 57.3 | 16.3 | 3.8 | 7.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 7.5 | 4.6 | 66.3 | 44.1 |
| Birmingham, AL | 56.3 | 8.6 | 2.0 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 2.0 | 8.4 | 1.5 | 58.3 | 47.3 |
| Tampa, FL | 56.1 | 6.7 | 5.9 | 10.7 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 7.0 | 1.7 | 46.2 | 52.6 |
| Greensboro, NC | 55.6 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 9.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 8.5 | 4.3 | 50.5 | 82.7 |
| New Orleans, LA | 53.0 | 18.7 | 6.9 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 13.5 | 7.8 | 0.5 | 59.0 | 49.4 |
| Lexington, KY | 50.8 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 5.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 8.1 | 2.8 | 67.5 | 61.2 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 50.5 | 9.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 8.1 | 1.4 | 60.7 | 66.9 |
| Miami, FL | 48.2 | 22.8 | 8.6 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 5.5 | 0.4 | 39.2 | 59.2 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 48.0 | 6.1 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 57.3 | 82.9 |
| Denver, CO | 47.4 | 10.2 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 7.6 | 2.7 | 54.0 | 48.7 |
| Portland, OR | 47.3 | 10.2 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 7.7 | 3.2 | 49.7 | 25.9 |
| Little Rock, AR | 47.2 | 8.3 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 8.3 | 4.4 | 55.7 | 8.3 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 45.1 | 6.7 | 2.2 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 7.5 | 3.0 | 64.8 | 46.7 |
| San Jose, CA | 44.4 | 7.3 | 3.9 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 9.1 | 2.3 | 47.3 | 13.8 |
| Kansas City, MO | 43.7 | 10.2 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 8.1 | 3.3 | 59.7 | 31.1 |
| Raleigh, NC | 43.0 | 8.3 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 8.5 | 3.5 | 52.5 | 50.2 |
| Columbus, OH | 42.4 | 10.7 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 7.8 | 3.3 | 64.0 | 37.6 |
| Louisville, KY | 42.3 | 6.4 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 8.3 | 2.2 | 67.7 | 19.7 |
| Chicago, IL | 41.3 | 9.9 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 0.8 | 7.7 | 1.7 | 60.2 | 17.7 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 40.1 | 7.8 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 7.8 | 2.7 | 64.3 | 32.9 |
| Des Moines, IA | 39.6 | 11.9 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 7.6 | 4.8 | 54.8 | 20.4 |
| Reno, NV | 36.9 | 5.8 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 52.8 | 25.8 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 36.2 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 55.7 | 45.0 |
| Tulsa, OK | 35.7 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 58.0 | 16.5 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 34.6 | 12.1 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 8.4 | 0.6 | 53.2 | 21.8 |
| Dallas, TX | 34.3 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 8.5 | 0.2 | 50.5 | 34.2 |
| Boise, ID | 34.1 | 8.1 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 7.8 | 3.4 | 58.3 | 21.2 |
| San Diego, CA | 34.0 | 9.7 | 2.7 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 9.4 | 0.4 | 56.0 | 18.4 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 33.5 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 7.8 | 0.5 | 49.7 | 21.0 |
| San Antonio, TX | 33.3 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 8.2 | 0.4 | 61.0 | 54.2 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 33.3 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 9.3 | 0.5 | 58.3 | 29.1 |
| Charlotte, NC | 32.0 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 8.4 | 2.3 | 51.7 | 24.0 |
| Omaha, NE | 31.9 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 2.9 | 61.0 | 19.2 |
| Nashville, TN | 31.9 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 55.8 | 15.6 |
| Spokane, WA | 31.3 | 7.4 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 6.9 | 1.7 | 48.8 | 11.8 |
| Honolulu, HI | 29.4 | 15.5 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 7.7 | 0.0 | 42.0 | 18.1 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 28.9 | 7.9 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 0.5 | 55.5 | 21.8 |
| Austin, TX | 28.6 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 52.7 | 25.1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 27.7 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 8.5 | 0.4 | 56.3 | 7.3 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 27.3 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 8.3 | 0.5 | 55.5 | 7.1 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 26.0 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 8.2 | 0.5 | 46.5 | 23.2 |
| Wichita, KS | 24.8 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 8.3 | 1.5 | 59.7 | 7.6 |
| New York, NY | 23.5 | 9.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 8.1 | 0.7 | 54.5 | 17.8 |
| Tucson, AZ | 23.3 | 4.4 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 52.8 | 11.3 |
| Lincoln, NE | 23.0 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.8 | 2.0 | 58.3 | 32.2 |
| Memphis, TN | 21.5 | 6.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 8.4 | 0.6 | 52.5 | 12.0 |
| Houston, TX | 21.2 | 6.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 7.7 | 0.5 | 50.2 | 15.1 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 19.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 56.2 | 9.7 |
| Anchorage, AK | 18.2 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 0.3 | 45.0 | 5.2 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 18.0 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 68.8 | 4.4 |
| Average | 51.1 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 7.9 | 2.9 | 56.4 | 42.0 |
Tips for scaring up savings this Halloween
You don't have to break the bank when you're buying a costume and purchasing Halloween candy. There are plenty of ways to spend smart:
- Travel to a Halloweentown and earn points. If you're not feeling the Halloween spirit where you live, equip your wallet with one of the best travel credit cards and earn points during your travels to redeem for future trips.
- Build credit with your spooky spending. Whether you're going all out with your costume or decking out your home, using one of the best credit cards for large purchases will lend to smarter spending.
- Set a Halloween budget ahead of time. Setting a budget in advance for however you choose to celebrate will ensure you don't overspend — and you don't have to use a spreadsheet to do so. Use one of our recommended budgeting apps to get started.
Methodology
FinanceBuzz collected data on 75 of America's biggest cities. We found data for eight factors relating to Halloween and the fall season in each city. Data was collected in September 2025.
Factors were compared using a dynamic formula that assigned each city a score of 0-5 relative to every other city. Those factor scores were then weighted to assign each city a final value out of 100, with higher scores indicating cities with more Halloween spirit.
For each factor, a weight of 2.50 serves as the baseline, with weights above 2.50 having a larger impact on a city's total score and those below 2.50 having a lesser impact. The weights and sources for the individual metrics used are as follows:
| Criteria | Source | Weight |
| # of haunted house attractions per 100,000 people | FrightFind.com | 3 |
| # of Halloween parties and events per 100,000 people | EventBrite | 2.5 |
| Spirit Halloween locations per 100,000 people | Spirit Halloween | 2.5 |
| # of pumpkin patches per 100,000 people | PumpkinPatches.com | 2.25 |
| Average Google Trends search volume for 6 Halloween-related search terms | Google Trends | 2.25 |
| # of candy stores per 100,000 people | YellowPages.com | 2 |
| # of "real" haunted locations per 100,000 people | FrightFind.com | 2 |
| Fall climate index score (September-November) | BestPlaces.net | 2 |
| # of costume shops per 100,000 people | YellowPages.com | 1.5 |
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