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The Halloween Capitals of America
Everyone who lives in the U.S. (and even those who don’t) knows that we’re Halloween-mad. It’s no surprise that we love dressing up for the occasion, trick-or-treating and watching classic movies like Hocus Pocus, Scream and It, even if it takes us briefly away from NY betting apps.
It’s no secret that Halloween is such a huge holiday in the U.S. In 2022, America hit a record high of $10.6 billion, with a startling 5% annual increase in spending on this spooky holiday when compared to 2021! And this got us thinking.
So, we at EmpireStakes.com ranked different factors to reveal which states go mad for Halloween. What’s the Halloween capital in the US, and what are the most popular searches for New York when it comes to ghost sightings, Halloween parties, pumpkin patches and horror/thriller movies? Our data reveals everything you need to know. Just read on to see what New York is most popular for during the horror-tastic Halloween season and much more!
Must be 21+ to participate & present in NY. Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.
The Top 5 Halloween-Mad States
With the factors we considered, our research found that the top 5 Halloween curious states were California (29.46/50), Utah (28.98/50) and Nevada (27.53/50). Next up in fourth place was the all-important state of New York, with a ranking of 27.52, followed by Massachusetts (25.76)!
New York Comes 1st for “Halloween Event/Party” Searches
Our research found that New York ranked 1st overall for Halloween event/party searches online. This just proves people’s eagerness to celebrate this horror-themed holiday in style in this location. It comes as no surprise, considering how many spooktastic events and parties are held around this holiday season, especially in NYC!
Take Greenwich Village 2023 being held on the big day – the 31st, alongside New York’s Village Halloween Parade. Not to mention the SoHo Vampire Halloween Ball, held on the 20th, plus Halloween-themed singles parties, orchestra and DJ performances, and much more. There are various trick-or-treat events for the kids, too, such as Halloween Spooktacular on the 21st in Cross County Center, alongside Halloween cruises and kids' parties happening all over NY!
New York Ranked 3rd for “Halloween” Searches
It seems the citizens of New York are the third most likely state to search for the term “Halloween”. This is probably because people want to see what’s happening in New York during the Halloween season, and what they can get out of it, since it’s a state famed for its amazing liveliness, fun, and ever-busy schedule!
New York Ranked 7th for Halloween Movie Searches
The Empire State took the 7th spot for horror/thriller movie searches around Halloween. Nevada stole the top spot, coming 1st for horror and thriller movie searches, with California following in 2nd place for most popular horror film searches. But, doesn’t this show a lot about New York during the Halloween season?
After all, people might not be searching for scary films to watch in the lead-up to the 31st, and on the day, but that’s because they’re too busy celebrating, dressing up and attending the best-decorated parties, which makes Halloween such a spectacular occasion in this amazing area!
Ghost Sightings in New York
We looked into how many ghost sightings were reported in this beloved state. But in New York, there were fewer ghost sightings than one might've thought, with just 8 spooks happening. This differed from other nearby states like Connecticut, with a whopping 39 sightings in total!
The same can be said for Massachusetts, with double the number of ghost sightings when compared with New York (16). However, some nearby states, such as Pennsylvania, saw fewer ghost sightings than the Big Apple (6). So, if you’re looking to uncover some spooky and spiritual sights, New York isn’t the answer – probably because it’s such a busy and vibrant location, so spirits want to stay under the radar!
Pumpkin Patch Searches were Lower in New York
With other states offering fields of green space for pumpkin patches, it’s not surprising New York ranked 45th for this search term. After all, why search for something you know isn’t up for grabs as often here, when you can search for “Halloween parties” and find brilliant results and spook-tastic soirees to attend!? The state taking the top spot for “pumpkin patch near me” searches was Nevada.
Nevada’s home to dozens of incredible pumpkin patches, and no two are the same, so it’s not hugely surprising. But it certainly shows how each state has its highlights for Halloween, and while people are picking pumpkins more in Nevada, NY residents are busy planning their costumes and deciding on which (out of the many) parties they’ll be attending to celebrate the wonders of the 31st! It only comes once a year, after all!
Methodology
This ranking shows the U.S. states most curious for Halloween.
To create this, EmpireStakes.com considered four different metrics surrounding Google search interest over the last 12 months.
These included:
- "Halloween" (Google Searches)
- Search volume from 659 keywords related to Halloween such as: “Halloween costumes”, Halloween decorations”, “Halloween stores” and many more.
- Halloween Party/Events (Google Searches)
- Search volume from 627 keywords related to parties and events in the local area focussing on food, ideas, themes and many more.
- Horror/Thriller Movies (Google Searches)
- Search volumes from 675 keywords related to thriller and horror movies such as “best horror movies”, “new horror movies”, “Netflix horror movies”, and many more.
- "Pumpkin Patch Near Me" (Google Searches)
- Search volumes from 20 keywords related to pumpkin patches in the local area.
To create the index, the above metrics were considered, all of which were weighted equally and adjusted for populations. The final score was then given out of 40. And the higher the number, the more Halloween mad the state.
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