‘Best Cities For Halloween’ List: Newark Ranks 4th

NEWARK, NJ — Newark is one of America’s “Best Cities for Halloween,” according to a recent study.

As the spookiest time of the year draws closer, financial information provider WalletHub released a list of “2016’s Best Cities for Halloween,” which ranked Newark at #4.

New Jersey cities that placed on the list include:

• #3 – Jersey City
• #4 – Newark

The study compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across three key dimensions:

• Trick-or-Treater Friendliness (kid population, trick-or-treat stops, crime rate, pedestrian fatality rate)
• Halloween Parties and Activities (number of Halloween and candy stores per capita, number of bars and movie theaters per capita, number of haunted houses and pumpkin patches per capita)
• Halloween Weather (temperature, precipitation rates)

“It’s very important that cities are safe for children to be out trick-or-treating,” said Thomas Roberts, a child and family development professor at San Diego State University.

• See related article: Newark Authorities Issue Halloween Fire Safety Tips

“Cities with many residential neighborhoods allow for children to walk without the risks of traffic, as is the case in commercial areas,” Roberts stated. “Cities should strive to make the celebration exciting and fun, such as having haunted houses and costume awards… Cities that have a good relationship with the local government and with the police would be highly desirable.”

Read more about the study and its methodology here.

Photo: Newark City Press Office, Flickr

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