This NJ City Is One Of The 'Best In America For Halloween' In 2026

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s largest city is one of the best places to celebrate Halloween in the United States, a new study says.

Newark recently landed at number ten on WalletHub’s 2026 list of the “Best Cities for Halloween.”

The financial data website ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities according to 20 metrics, including the number of costume stores, the crime rate, and the share of potential trick-or-treat stops.

Other factors included the likelihood of rain, the city’s walkability, the number of car crashes involving pedestrians, and the number of local pumpkin patches and haunted houses.

Newark scored particularly well in “Trick-or-Treater Friendliness,” ranking 5^th-highest in the nation.

“Halloween holds a big place in American popular culture, and we collectively spend billions of dollars celebrating every year,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.

“At the same time, it’s also a holiday that comes with a certain amount of risk, given that children visit strangers’ houses in the dark,” Lupo said. “The best cities for Halloween are those that provide the safest conditions for celebrating, along with an abundance of activities, Halloween-related stores and good weather.”

Another large municipality in New Jersey – Jersey City – scored even higher than Newark, ranking third-best on the national list.

The top two cities? New York and Los Angeles.

See the full list and learn about its methodology here.

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