According to a new WalletHub study, Jersey City ranked 2nd overall among the best cities for Halloween, while Newark ranked 10th.
WalletHub used rankings for Trick-or-Treat Friendliness, Halloween Fun, and Halloween Weather. WalletHub compared the top 100 largest U.S. cities based on 20 key metrics, including costume stores per capita, crime rates, and the share of potential trick-or-treat stops.
The study comes as many in New Jersey wonder why trick-or-treating appears to be fading away.
Canva / TSM Illustration
Canva / TSM Illustration
Jersey City scored 62.29 overall, which placed it as the second-best city for Halloween.
The one factor that put Jersey City over the top was the ranking as the No. 1 city in the country for Trick-or-Treat Friendliness. Jersey City’s ranking for Halloween Fun ranked a dismal 95, and couple that with a 62 ranking for Halloween Weather Rank, and the weight of that trick or treat friendliness ranking pulled up Jersey City into the second-best city for Halloween. You should know that New York City ranked as the best city for Halloween with an overall ranking of 71.38.
Aerial panorama of Jersey City
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Newark comes in at No. 10 best city for Halloween. Like Jersey City, they have a high Trick-or-Treat Friendliness ranking of the 5th highest in the country. Newark has a low ranking for Halloween Fun of 97th and a 47th ranking for Halloween weather.
The study showed that the average U.S. household is projected to spend $114.45 on Halloween expenses. Those expenses include decorations, treats, and costumes. The study also stated that collectively Americans spend $13.1 billion on Halloween and that 73% of households in the U.S. celebrate the ghoulish holiday.
I was surprised by the 73% of households celebrating Halloween; I thought it would be lower.
Canva / TSM Illustration
Canva / TSM Illustration
So, head to Jersey City and Newark for trick or treating, but don’t head there if you are looking for Halloween fun!
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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.
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