Halloween Candy Prices Have Crept Up In NJ: See How Much

NEW JERSEY — Candy costs have declined slightly in New Jersey compared to last year, but the price to get your house stocked for trick-or-treaters has still crept up over the past few years.

Patch took a look at the Grocery Price Index from Datasembly to see how much the price of candy and gum has gone up for New Jersey consumers in recent years. This index tracks weekly price changes at more than 150,000 stores across the United States.

From mid-October 2022 through mid-October 2024, candy and gum prices have increased 11.2 percent across New Jersey, Datasembly found. This year, the price for candy and gum in New Jersey stores peaked in late September and has been declining slowly since then. Compared to this time last year, prices have actually gone down 1.2 percent.

Still, Datasembly's analysis shows that this year's prices are 36.3 percent higher than in 2019. Part of this rise can be attributed to the increased cost of sugar and cocoa, as recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows both have risen sharply in recent years.

And though inflation has been creeping up, Americans are still going out to the store to buy candy for Halloween. S&P Global estimates that spending on Halloween candy will increase 3.5 percent this year, to a record $4.1 billion — even if consumers are shying away from the higher price of chocolate in favor of other Halloween favorites.

"In short, while there may be fewer chocolate bars being handed out, there will be no shortage of other sweets available to appease the mini masses this year," said Michael Zdinak, Director of U.S. Economics for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A survey by the National Retail Federation had the nation's overall candy cost a bit lower, at an estimated $3.5 billion for 2024. That breaks down to about $31.69 per household to fill your candy bowl for trick-or-treat.

Overall, the NRF says, Americans will spend $11.6 billion on Halloween this year once you take costumes and decorations into account — a decrease from the $12.2 billion spent last year, but still more than in other years past.

A recent poll from New Jersey's own Fairleigh Dickinson University asked respondents if they plan to give out candy or other treats on Halloween this year, and what they are planning to hand out: Full-size candy or chocolate bars, mini- or fun-size candies, non-food items, or nothing at all.

In this survey of 806 registered voters, 12 percent of people said they're planning to give out full-size candy bars, 46 percent said they will give out mini- or fun-sized treats, and one-third of people (33 percent) said they are not planning on buying candy to hand out at all. Two percent of people said they will give out non-food items.

Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, said it's "still the norm" to give out smaller-sized candy bars on Halloween, but noted that warehouse stores have made it cheaper to buy the big bars.

“Lots of Americans delighted in getting a full-size candy as a kid, and it seems like they want to pass that feeling on," said Cassino, who was also executive director of this poll.