Halloween by the numbers

Halloween 2018 is expected to be one for the record books. Spending this holiday is estimated to reach at least $9 billion, the second-highest mark in the past 14 years, according to the National Retail Federation. Halloween 2017 holds the current record, with $9.1 billion spent.

While adults maintain a love for designing costumes and gathering for the holiday, the kid population is really the one making the most out of Halloween. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are an estimated 41.1 million children between ages 5 and 14 who could be out trick-or-treating this year.  

Across the United States, 40,900 acres of pumpkins were harvested in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Illinois is the top producer of pumpkins in the country.

Influenster polled more than 40,000 people to determine each state’s favorite Halloween candy. Only three kinds showed up among the top choices of each state: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Kit Kat, and Butterfinger.

Halloween originates from a pagan festival that's more than 2,000 years old. The festival, called Samhain, was first celebrated by Celtic people.

Prizes, or at least pride, often go to the most creative costumes. In pursuit of that trophy, consumers are expected to spend $3.2 billion on ready-made costumes and costume-making supplies this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

According to the Halloween Industry Association, 35% of celebrants will look for costume inspiration online. Another 30% look for ideas in a store, and 20% turn to friends or family.

Some devotees to the holiday dive into the Halloween spirit well before the seasons change. According to the consumer guide WeAreTop10, 6% of the Halloween-celebrating population will make their purchases before the month of September.

There are more than 1,200 haunted-theme attractions across the country that charge admission. Charity organizations operate another 3,000 attractions, according to America Haunts.  

The largest gathering of skeleton-costumed people occured at Swansea University in the United Kingdom. According to Guinness World Records, 2,018 people gathered for the event.

People love Halloween enough that a bad economy will not dissuade them from celebrating. The National Retail Federation reports that only 13% of people say their Halloween spending is affected by the economy, down from 32% in 2011.

With millions of children celebrating Halloween, there will inevitably be a lot of door-knocking and bell-ringing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are a potential 120 million trick-or-treat stops for Halloween.

In 2017, 179 million Americans celebrated Halloween. In total, the average celebrant spent $86.13—a new record, according to The Balance.

The different generations have different ideas of what makes a good costume or, at least, how much to spend on a costume. According to a CIT survey, millennials spends $66 on a costume, compared to $25 for Generation X and $3 for Baby Boomers.

More than just getting a certain kind of candy, trick-or-treating is about getting the most candy. According to WalletHub, 72% of households give out two or three pieces of candy to each trick-or-treater.

The first written record of trick-or-treating occurred in Canada. The record, from Blackie, Alberta, occurred in 1927.

Around a third of parents talk to their children about trick-or-treating safety before Halloween. Around three-quarters of parents have Halloween-related fears, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.

Trick-or-treaters are in for a treat this year. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend $2.6 billion this year on candy.

Half of trick-or-treaters prefer chocolate. According to Fact Retriever, 50% of kids want chocolate and 24% prefer another kind of candy.

A signal of the coming Halloween season is the release of horror movies. Since 1995, the movie industry has produced 543 horror movies for a total revenue of more than $10.5 billion, according to The Numbers.

The horror movie industry may generate scares, but the horror book genre is also a major supplier of spooky stories. Author R.L. Stine has written 62 books as part of the famous “Goosebumps” series.

The largest jack-o-lantern in history weighed a total of 1,810.5 pounds. Scott Cully cut the masterpiece in 2010, according to Guinness World Records.

According to the National Retail Federation, princesses and superheroes are the most popular costumes for children: 7.6% of children will dress as princesses and 4.9% as superheroes. The third-most popular costume among kids, with 4.3%, is Batman.

According to the National Retail Federation, witches and vampires are the most popular costume choices for adults.: 10.7% of adults will dress as witches and 3.7% as vampires. The third-most popular costume among adults is a zombie.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios offers haunted houses, film screenings, and "scare zones." However, gate admission to the Florida event is a steep $114.99.

According to the National Retail Federation, 70% of people celebrating Halloween plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Half of those people will decorate their homes, and about a third will throw a party.

Amazon is now expanding into the Halloween candy distribution business. According to Statista, consumers spent about $13 million on candy through Amazon in 2017.

More than half of parents admit to eating their children’s Halloween candy. According to Wallethub, 62% of parents say they snack on their children’s holiday sweets.

In 2017, 16% of Halloween celebrants dressed up their pet. That number is expected to rise to 20% in 2018, according to the National Retail Federation. The most popular pet costume is a pumpkin.  

The "haunted industry" generates almost $500 million in ticket sales each year, according to America Haunts. This revenue is split between haunted attractions and amusement parks with Halloween themes.