These Cities in New Jersey Are Ranked the Best For Halloween Fun in the Country

New Jersey knows how to get its Halloween on. We’ve got trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treats, parties, parades, haunted houses, Halloween boat tours, ghost tours, light shows, pop-up bars, movies, and even UFO sightings.

Two cities in New Jersey have been ranked among the best for Halloween in the country, according to WalletHub. The personal finance site compared the 100 largest U.S. cities based on key metrics, including trick-or-treater friendliness – the number of kids out trick-or-treating, the number of candy spots, population density, walkability and crime rate; Fun Rank – number of Halloween stores, Halloween parties, haunted houses, candy and chocolate stores, farms, pumpkin patches, movie theaters (including ticket price), amusement parks and bars/dance clubs in the area; and the typical weather on October 31.

New Jersey’s first city, Jersey City, is No. 2 on the overall U.S. list. Jersey City’s total score is 63.45, behind No. 1 NYC with 71.83. Trick-or-treat friendliness is ranked No. 1, with the Halloween Fun Rank at 91, and Halloween weather rank at 62. According to the study, Jersey City has the second-highest population density and is the fourth most walkable city in the country; it has the ninth-lowest violent crime rate and the sixth-lowest property crime rate in the U.S. It also has the second-lowest pedestrian fatality rate. Finally, Jersey City has lots of movie theaters per capita, providing good opportunities to celebrate with a scary movie.

Newark came in at No. 11. Its total score is 54.12, with a trick-or-treat friendliness score of 4 and a Halloween Fun Rank of 96. We love the area around NJPAC, the great restaurants in the Ironbound and watching the Devils or a show at the Prudential Center.

The Top 10 Best Cities for Halloween, according to WalletHub:

1. New York, NY
2. Jersey City, NJ
3. Miami, FL
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. Chicago, IL
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Washington, DC
8. Anaheim, CA
9. Boston, MA
10. Gilbert, AZ
11. Newark, NJ

In a separate study by Mixbook, three New Jersey cities were among the most coveted Halloween destinations among families in 2024. A survey went out to 3,000 families to ask where they choose to celebrate Halloween as a destination, not just a one-night trick-or-treat location.

Cape May, the first New Jersey town on the list, is ranked No. 24 nationally. It’s known to be haunted, with its Victorian mansions, trolley rides and year-round ghost tours. It’s also home to a new Halloween pop-up bar, Harry’s Boo Bar, where you can sip drinks out of an IV bag.

No. 68, Hardwick in Warren County, is home to Camp NoBeBoSco, the real-life location for Camp Crystal Lake in the original Friday the 13th movie. You may recognize – and sometimes tour – locations used in the film.

Coming in at 91 is The Pine Barrens – what says New Jersey Halloween more than the legendary Jersey Devil? Visitors love to look for the 13th child of the Leeds family, who apparently became a winged creature and haunts the state.

The most popular New Jersey towns for Halloween, according to Mixbook:
24. Cape May
68. Hardwick
91. The Pine Barrens

The most popular Halloween destinations in the country, according to Mixbook:

1. Salem, Massachusetts
2. New Orleans, Louisiana
3. Amityville, New York
4. Sleepy Hollow, New York
5. Orlando, Florida
6. Los Angeles, California
7. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
8. Ipswich, Massachusetts
9. Atlanta, Georgia
10. Devil’s Tower, Wyoming

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