The Best US Cities for Haunted Houses in 2025: Where Halloween Thrills Come to Life

Key takeaways

• Of the cities analyzed, Enterprise, NV, Santa Ana, CA, and Riverside, CA, are the best cities for haunted houses this year. Oklahoma City, OK, and Portland, OR, are the worst.
• According to Yelp listings, Santa Ana, CA (40.62), Riverside, CA (37.12), and Jersey City, NJ (29.06) have the highest concentration of haunted houses per 100K residents.
• Haunted houses in Fort Wayne, IN, have the highest ratings, averaging 4.44 out of 5.
• Residents of Cleveland, OH, show the highest online curiosity about haunted attractions, searching for spooky experiences at a rate above other U.S. cities (31,520 per 100K).

Every October, thrill seekers across the U.S. line up for their favorite haunted houses, but not all spooky experiences are created equal. To find out who offers the best scares, we ranked over 80 major U.S. cities using data from Yelp listings, user reviews, and Google search interest.

Where the scares are best: Top and bottom-ranked cities

Our ranking took these four factors into account:

• The number of haunted houses on Yelp per 100K residents
• The average rating of haunted houses (out of 5 stars)
• The average number of reviews per haunted house
• Search interest in haunted attractions per 100K residents

Whether you're chasing jump scares or immersive storytelling, here's where you'll find America's top (and not-so-top) destinations for haunted house fun.

Halloween lovers looking for the most spine-tingling experiences might want to start their journey in Enterprise, NV, Santa Ana, CA, or Riverside, CA, the top-ranked cities in our haunted house index. San Jose, CA, and North Las Vegas, NV, rounded out the top five. These cities offer a mix of quality, variety, and strong community enthusiasm for seasonal attractions.

Enterprise and North Las Vegas benefit from proximity to Las Vegas's entertainment culture, blending theatrical effects and large-scale production value with eerie creativity. Meanwhile, Santa Ana's strong showing reflects Southern California's deep-rooted Halloween tradition, where both locals and visitors flock to haunted mazes, ghost tours, and immersive events.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoma City and Portland ranked lowest. Both cities had fewer highly rated attractions and less online engagement, suggesting their haunted house scenes may be more subdued, or perhaps still emerging. That said, with growing public interest and Halloween spending topping $13 billion nationwide, even lower-ranked cities could soon see a frightful surge in new experiences.

What makes a great haunted house city

Cities with thriving haunted house cultures tend to blend passion, participation, and performance. Here's how the cities in our study ranked when broken down by category.

According to our findings, Santa Ana, CA (40.62), Riverside, CA (37.12), and Jersey City, NJ (29.06) had the highest concentrations of haunted houses per 100,000 residents, giving locals plenty of options for spooky adventures.

As for quality, Fort Wayne, IN, earned top marks for haunted house ratings, averaging 4.44 stars, indicating that its attractions deliver serious scares and satisfaction. Anaheim, CA, followed closely with an average of 4.41 stars, and Charlotte, NC, rounded out the leaders in this category with 4.39.

Public enthusiasm drives much of the excitement, too. Cleveland, OH, residents searched for haunted attractions at a rate of about 31,520 searches per 100,000 people. This is the highest in the nation and shows just how eager its city residents are to embrace the spooky season. Pittsburgh, PA (10,814.8) and Atlanta, GA (10,754.5) ranked next, reflecting strong regional traditions of fall festivities and Halloween events.

Popularity also correlates with online buzz. San Jose, CA (313.4 reviews per listing), Enterprise, NV (257.1), and North Las Vegas, NV (226.4) had the most Yelp reviews per haunted house, highlighting active local engagement and repeat visits from fans seeking to rate and relive their favorite fright nights.

America's haunted heartbeats

Haunted houses are a seasonal source of fun and cultural landmarks that bring communities together through shared thrills and laughter. From Santa Ana's high-density scare zones to Cleveland's deep curiosity about all things spooky, the Halloween spirit thrives in cities big and small. Whether you're braving a top-ranked haunt or supporting a local favorite, there's no better way to celebrate the season than by embracing the scare.

Methodology

We analyzed Yelp and Google Trends data to rank 83 U.S. cities based on their haunted house offerings. Factors were weighted equally and included:

• Number of haunted houses listed on Yelp per capita
• Average Yelp rating per haunted house
• Average number of Yelp reviews per haunted house
• Search interest in haunted attractions per 100,000 residents

Only cities with 10 or more haunted house listings were included. Rankings are based on 2024–2025 Yelp and Google Trends data. Because Yelp listings may group attractions by suburb rather than metro area, some regional variations may not be fully captured. Additionally, search volume can fluctuate seasonally, and review data is subject to change as new attractions open or close.

This ranking highlights where Halloween enthusiasts can expect the most active, highly rated, and searched-for haunted experiences.

Fair use statement

You're welcome to share these findings for noncommercial purposes. Please credit Vivint and include a link back to this page so readers can explore the full study and methodology.