America’s Scariest States - SmartReads by SmartAsset

Halloween took shape as an American tradition in the 19th century, blending immigrant customs with seasonal observances. Since then, the holiday has evolved into a celebration of fear as entertainment. Once tied to harvest traditions, Halloween is now a spectacle of suspense celebrated by three-quarters of U.S. adults. But seasonal scares are not evenly distributed, and some states have a stronger claim to Halloween frights than others.

SmartAsset analyzed the 50 states to determine which are most closely associated with Halloween scares. Each state received a composite score based on the number of Halloween attractions and reportedly haunted places per 1 million residents, along with how many of the 100 most popular horror films are set there. The results reveal the scariest — and least scary — states in America.

Key Findings

Pennsylvania is the scariest state in America. The Keystone State is the setting for “Night of the Living Dead,” “Gremlins,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “The Sixth Sense” and “The Blob.” It has 44 Halloween attractions and 15 reportedly haunted places per 1 million residents. California follows closely, serving as the setting for horror classics such as “Psycho” and “The Birds.”
Half of the scariest states are in the Northeast. Five of the 10 scariest states are in the Northeastern United States: Pennsylvania (No. 1), New York (No. 3), Delaware (No. 7), Vermont (No. 8) and New Hampshire (No. 10).
California and New York lead as settings for popular horror films. Seven of the top 100 horror movies are set in California, followed closely by New York with six.
Hawaii is the least scary state in the U.S. The Aloha State has about one Halloween attraction and 36 reportedly haunted places per 1 million residents.

Questions and Answers

What is the scariest state in the U.S.?

Based on association with popular horror films, and the number of Halloween attractions and reportedly haunted places per capita, Pennsylvania is the scariest state in the United States.

What horror films are set in Pennsylvania?

Well-known horror films set in Pennsylvania include “Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “Gremlins,” “The Sixth Sense” and “The Blob.”

How many U.S. adults celebrate Halloween?

According to a 2025 survey by MRI-Simmons, about 75% of American adults celebrate Halloween.

What is the most haunted state in the United States?

According to hauntedplaces.org, California has 659 haunted places, the most in the United States. On a per capita basis, Wyoming leads with 146 haunted places per 1 million residents.

Methodology

Halloween attractions, including haunted houses and displays, were sourced from FrightMaps.com as of September 1, 2026. Haunted places were sourced from HauntedPlaces.org as of September 1, 2026. Per capita values were calculated from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates of July 1, 2025. The list of the “Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time” published by Variety on October 9, 2024 was used to determine popular horror films. Each film was categorized to assign a principal setting corresponding to a U.S. state, where such categorization was applicable. The three metrics were weighted differently and combined into a composite score for each state. States were then ranked by their composite scores. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.