Halloween in the US is nothing short of spectacular. From Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights to extravagant front-yard displays and everyday homes transformed into haunted houses, America always goes big for spooky season. But, have you ever wondered which states take Halloween the most seriously?
Our experts have crunched the numbers to reveal a definitive ranking of Halloween spirit across the country. By analysing Google Trends data from 10 Halloween-related search terms, we gave every state a "Halloween spirit" score out of 1000. The results are in, and it’s a surprising mix of spooky overachievers and states where Halloween barely causes a stir.
How the Rankings Were Calculated
To gauge Halloween enthusiasm, our researchers looked at search interest across the following terms: "Halloween decor", "Halloween decorations", "Halloween costumes", "Halloween crafts", "Halloween nail designs", "couples Halloween costumes", "Halloween pajamas", "Halloween pjs", "Halloween wreath", and the ever-popular "Halloween Horror Nights".
Each state's scores were combined to create an overall "Halloween Spirit" ranking. Here’s what we discovered:
The Top 25 States with the Most Halloween Spirit
Rank | State | Total Score (out of 1000) |
|---|---|---|
1 | West Virginia | 666 |
2 | Kentucky | 642 |
3 | Ohio | 640 |
4 | Utah | 592 |
5 | Louisiana | 577 |
6 | Alabama | 551 |
7 | Michigan | 551 |
8 | Pennsylvania | 538 |
9 | Tennessee | 532 |
10 | Indiana | 528 |
11 | Nevada | 525 |
12 | Missouri | 521 |
13 | Florida | 517 |
14 | Illinois | 502 |
15 | South Carolina | 500 |
16 | Mississippi | 485 |
17 | Arizona | 479 |
18 | New Jersey | 470 |
19 | California | 463 |
20 | Arkansas | 459 |
21 | Texas | 456 |
22 | Kansas | 455 |
23 | Nebraska | 447 |
24 | Wisconsin | 442 |
25 | Iowa | 430 |
The Bottom 25 States with the Least Halloween Spirit
Rank | State | Total Score (out of 1000) |
|---|---|---|
26 | Oklahoma | 430 |
27 | North Carolina | 416 |
28 | New York | 411 |
29 | New Mexico | 408 |
30 | Virginia | 403 |
31 | Georgia | 399 |
32 | Colorado | 388 |
33 | Maine | 388 |
34 | Massachusetts | 384 |
35 | Oregon | 384 |
36 | New Hampshire | 363 |
37 | Maryland | 360 |
38 | Rhode Island | 341 |
39 | Connecticut | 340 |
40 | Minnesota | 340 |
41 | Delaware | 325 |
42 | Washington | 325 |
43 | Idaho | 298 |
44 | South Dakota | 284 |
45 | Wyoming | 261 |
46 | Montana | 252 |
47 | North Dakota | 249 |
48 | Vermont | 226 |
49 | Alaska | 211 |
50 | Hawaii | 200 |
Regional Surprises
West Virginia took the Halloween crown in our ranking with standout search interest across nearly every category. It scored a perfect 100 in terms like "Halloween decor", "Halloween costumes", and "couples Halloween costumes", and had high marks in wreaths and crafts too.
Close behind, Kentucky and Ohio also demonstrated sky-high enthusiasm for Halloween. Both states ranked especially well for searches around costumes, home decorations, and seasonal crafts.
Florida's Halloween pride shows up in a different way. The state hit a perfect 100 in search interest for "Halloween Horror Nights", reflecting the national pull of Universal Orlando Resort’s world-famous scare-fest.
What the Experts Say
Chris Bradshaw, our VP of Marketing, said of the findings: “This ranking offers a great snapshot of how different parts of the country celebrate Halloween, with some states leading the way with enthusiasm. We can clearly see that traditions and seasonal interests vary across the US, but there’s no doubt that our nation as a whole loves the spooky season.”
Ready for a Real Fright?
If your idea of Halloween spirit includes fog machines, jump scares, and haunted mazes, don’t miss Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort. Book your tickets now at AttractionTickets.com and get ready for the scare of your life!
