Halloween is celebrated around the globe, but nowhere does it take hold quite like in the United States. Ranking just behind Christmas and Thanksgiving, it’s the nation’s third most popular holiday. This spooky season brings with it elaborate decorations, playful traditions, themed treats, and an unmistakable soundtrack. From neighborhood parades and costume contests to late-night parties and streets full of trick-or-treaters, Halloween in America is pure, unfiltered fun. And when “Monster Mash” starts looping in the background, you know one thing for sure: Halloween spirit is alive and well.
According to WalletHub’s “Best Places for Halloween (2025),” some U.S. cities capture that spirit better than others. Drawing from 10 governmental and non-governmental data sources, the financial planning site compared the 100 largest American cities across 20 weighted metrics within three major categories: Trick-or-treater friendliness (including population density, crime rate, and perceived safety), Halloween fun (such as haunted houses, pumpkin patches, and costume shops per capita), and Halloween weather (temperature and chance of precipitation).
Topping the list with a composite score more than eight points higher than the runner-up is New York City, a fitting choice, given that its annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade alone could earn it the title. Read on to discover America’s Top 10 Cities for Halloween!
This post was updated on October 24, 2025, to include the most up-to-date information from Wallhub’s 2025 rankings.
Gilbert, AZ
- Total Score: 54.52
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 3
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 49
- Halloween weather rank: 89
- Known for: Downtown Gilbert Pumpkin Palooza
Boston, MA
- Total Score: 56.13
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 5
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 65
- Halloween weather rank: 68
- Known for: The Wicked Hauntfest, fall foliage
Anaheim, CA
- Total Score: 56.82
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 23
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 9
- Halloween weather rank: 40
- Known for: Disneyland’s Mickey-shaped pumpkin on Main Street
Washington, DC
- Total Score: 57.46
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 13
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 41
- Halloween weather rank: 8
- Known for: 17th Street High Heel Race, ghost tours
Los Angeles, CA
- Total Score: 58.98
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 27
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 4
- Halloween weather rank: 57
- Known for: Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Halloween Horror Nights
Chicago, IL
- Total Score: 59.20
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 9
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 14
- Halloween weather rank: 20
- Known for: the Arts in the Dark nighttime parade, Night of 1,000 Jack-o-Lanterns at the Botanic Garden
Las Vegas, NV
- Total Score: 59.20
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 40
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 1
- Halloween weather rank: 93
- Known for: Universal Horror Unleashed in the AREA15 District, Zombie Burlesque
Miami, FL
- Total Score: 60.77
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 22
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 5
- Halloween weather rank: 32
- Known for: Horrorland Miami
Jersey City, NJ
- Total Score: 63.45
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 1
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 91
- Halloween weather rank: 62
- Known for: trick-or-treating, community events on Newark Avenue
New York, NY
- Total Score: 71.83
- Trick or Treat Friendliness: 2
- Halloween Fun Ranking: 3
- Halloween weather rank: 29
- Known for: The Village Halloween Parade, The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze