Chicago Among Top 5 Best Places To Celebrate Halloween Nationwide

CHICAGO — Chicago is among the best places in the nation to celebrate the spooky season, according to multiple recent rankings.

The Windy City came in fifth on a list of the best places for Halloween by WalletHub and 17th in a separate ranking of the most popular destinations for the holiday from photobook company Mixbook.

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

“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. 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.”

To determine its ranking, WalletHub compared the country’s 100 biggest cities based on 20 metrics including costume stores per capita, crime rate and potential trick-or-treat stops.

New York came in first, Jersey City, New Jersey, was second and Miami ranked third.

Chicago was fifth, between Las Vegas at fourth and Los Angeles at sixth.

For its ranking, Mixbook surveyed 3,000 families about their top Halloween destinations, with Salem, Massachusetts, New Orleans and Amityville, New York, coming in first, second and third. respectively.

Chicago was 17th, between Fort Worth, Texas, at 16th and West Hollywood, California, at 18th.

“Halloween traditions are beloved, but exploring a new place can add an extra layer of excitement to the holiday,” Leslie Albertson of Mixbook said in the news release. “Taking a short trip to one of these unique destinations allows families to experience a different side of Halloween, one filled with rich history, thrilling events, and unforgettable memories.”