Survey: Five California Cities Tops for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner and total spending on related expenses projected to reach $13.1 billion this year, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its 2025’s Best Places for Halloween report, as well as expert commentary, along with fun and interesting stats about the holiday in its Halloween Facts infographic.

To help Americans decide where to spend the most spook-tacular time of year without frightening their bank accounts, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 key metrics. They range from candy and chocolate stores per capita to Halloween party supplies stores per capita to share of potential trick-or-treat stops.

Halloween Facts:

• $13.1 Billion: Projected Halloween spending in 2025.
• $4.3 Billion: Halloween costume spending in 2025.
• $3.9 Billion: Halloween candy spending in 2025.
• 15%: Share of parents who think 9 or 11 is old enough to trick-or-treat alone.
• More than half: Share of parents who help themselves to some of their children’s Halloween haul.
• $400 Million: Annual revenue generated by the Halloween attraction industry in ticket sales, with 53% of haunted houses supporting or being affiliated with a nonprofit organization.

Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format.

“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.”
–
“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. On top of that, New York has the highest population density in the country, and the second-highest walkability score, which 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 16th-most haunted houses, along with many amusement parks.”

– Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Expert Commentary

What are the biggest Halloween money-wasters?

“Please don’t waste your money on bulk candy bags or plastic party supplies. Kids aren’t yelling ‘Trick or Windfall!’ at your door. It’s ‘Trick or Treat!’ They’re perfectly happy with a single piece of candy. Honestly, to the little ones, a fun-size chocolate bar is basically a treasure. And while we’re at it, let’s talk about those Halloween-themed trinkets. I know the intention is good willed, trying to offer a ‘healthier’ or ‘non-candy’ option, but the truth is, those spider rings, bouncy balls with googly eyes, and plastic vampire teeth all end up under couches, in junk drawers, or worse, the landfill. We don’t need more plastic clutter haunting us long after Halloween is over!”
Julianna C. Golas – Associate Teaching Professor, University of Rhode Island

“While I wouldn’t call someone’s purchase decision a waste, there are some ways to be wise about Halloween-time spending. Since candy usually has a shelf life of anywhere from 6 to 12 months, purchasing candy in advance can save money. Buying candy in late August or early September and buying in bulk from big box stores are a few ways to stock up on sweet treats without breaking the bank. Just be sure to stash the candy away in a cool dry place and resist the urge to eat the candy before Halloween. Although Halloween themed packaging is fun, if you opt for the standard or universal candy wrapping, any unused candy can be repurposed for Christmas stocking stuffers or holiday giveaways. When shopping for Halloween festivities, avoid impulse buys and overspending. Set a budget for what you plan to spend on costumes, party supplies, decorations, candy, and Halloween events. Small purchases can add up quickly when you don’t have a plan. Shop in unexpected places like grocery stores and drug stores. They often have holiday decorations and costumes and are more likely to put these items on sale for deep discounts to get rid of excess inventory as the season changes. Decorations can be expensive. Buying quality decorations that can be reused year after year, and stocking up on next year’s decorations while they are on sale this year is a great way to save money.”
Portia Johnson, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Auburn University

What are some strategies for celebrating Halloween without breaking the bank?

“See what free activities your city offers! Maybe your town hosts a festival or art trail that’s free to walk around. Visit a pumpkin patch with family or friends and take fun photos wearing costumes or your favorite Fall clothes (think plaids and corduroy or maybe orange and black). Host a pumpkin carving party with your friends. Listen to a Halloween song playlist that you make yourself or simply find one online. Pick your favorite Halloween movies and make a night of it – Look online for easy Halloween-inspired treats and snacks to serve like Mummy Hot Dogs or Halloween Brownies (you can make spiderwebs across them with white icing or you could stick candy eyeballs all over).”
Jenna R. LaFreniere, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Texas Tech University

“There are several strategies families can use as part of Halloween festivities without breaking the bank! First, costumes can often be made at home for a fraction of the cost of buying a costume. Start early to brainstorm with the child(ren) for costume ideas, thinking about story characters, a movie theme, animals, popular children’s characters, etc., and repurpose items at home or maybe from a thrift store… Next – search for local fall festivals and trunk-or-treat activities hosted by organizations, churches, and schools that typically have no entry fee but provide an assortment of games and candy. Then – when trick-or-treating is held locally, be safe while going house to house in costume to gather treats.”
Paula J. Tripp, Ph.D. – Teaching Professor, Oklahoma State University

What measures should local authorities take to ensure kids are safe when trick-or-treating?

“While we spend lots of time teaching kids about ‘stranger danger,’ the truth is, children are more likely to be harmed by people they know. Therefore, for parents, teachers, and local authorities, teaching kids about ‘tricky people’ instead of just strangers is likely to be a better strategy to keep them safe. And, of course, a push to focus on staying in groups or with an adult, trick or treating in familiar places, and group options like ‘Trunk or Treat’ are always a good way to stay safe while still getting plenty of goodies.”
Carissa Newton – Assistant Professor, University of Indianapolis and Amanda Jayne Miller, University of Indianapolis

“Local authorities can publish guidelines ahead of Halloween in a variety of print and electronic settings. Examples of what local authorities can designate are the specific day/date that trick-or-treating will take place, as some communities choose a different date for a variety of reasons. The recommended hours should also be published. Children and adults should wear some type of reflective clothing, and their vision and hearing should not be blocked. Trick-or-treating should take place in neighborhoods where parents feel safe, where there is adequate lighting, and adults should accompany children. Children should only go to houses where an outside light is on, not to a dark house. Before children begin enjoying their treats, the adult should inspect each piece to be sure it is individually wrapped and the wrapping has not been tampered with. If homemade treats were obtained from a trusted family member or friend, parents should use their best judgment to decide if the child should eat the item. And, if the child has food allergies or sensitivities, those trick-or-treat items should be removed from what was collected.”
Paula J. Tripp, Ph.D. – Teaching Professor, Oklahoma State University and Jillian Caldwell Carpenter, Ph.D. – Teaching Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University