There is something wonderful about a neighborhood that goes all-in for Halloween. The carved pumpkins glowing on front steps. The plastic skeletons dangling from oak trees. The fake cobwebs stretched across every shrub. You do not even need a calendar, the decorations tell you exactly what time of year it is.
But what decorations does your state actually reach for first? A 2025 study from Lombardo Homes used Google Trends data and surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to find out.
Pumpkins Still Rule
No surprise here; the pumpkin is still America’s favorite Halloween decoration. It topped the list in Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, and California.
That tradition goes back a long way. The Celtic festival of Samhain, which gave Halloween much of its character, was seen as a time when the line between the living and the dead grew thin. People carved faces into pumpkins, turnips, and other vegetables to scare off wandering spirits. The survey found that 55% of Americans said they planned to carve pumpkins in 2025, so that old tradition is very much alive.
Ghosts, Bats, and Things That Go Bump
Ghosts came in as the second most popular decoration. Residents in Rhode Island, Washington, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida tend to favor them. Given that Halloween traces its roots to a holiday built around the returning dead, that feels just right.
Bats were the third favorite, popular in New Hampshire, Nebraska, Idaho, New Mexico, Kansas, and Iowa. Bats have been linked to Halloween since the days of Samhain, when giant bonfires lit the autumn sky and drew swarms of the creatures. Bats are also creatures of migration and hibernation season, which falls right around Halloween, so their timing is impeccable.
Rounding out the top ten were witches, scarecrows, tombstones, skeletons, spiders, and finally black cats at number ten. Black cats have long been tied to witchcraft and bad luck, though the survey noted that this superstition, especially around Halloween, has unfortunately led to real mistreatment of the animals.
The Decorations That Drive People Crazy
The study also asked Americans which Halloween decorations they could do without. Loud, motion-activated noises and pre-recorded screams topped the list of most annoying. Strobe and flashing lights came in second. Inflatables, gory decorations, and fake spider webs rounded out the complaints, along with creepy clowns and jump-scare animatronics.
When Do People Actually Decorate?
Most Americans do not wait until the last minute. The study found that 18% put up their decorations before October 1. The largest group (37%) decorated during the first week of October.
Taking things down moves quickly, too. A full 79% said they had everything packed away within the first week after Halloween.
As for spending, Americans surveyed said they spent an average of $99 on Halloween decorations in 2025. Nearly half (49%) said they spent less than the year before, citing inflation as the reason.
One more interesting finding: 47% said they noticed fewer trick-or-treaters at their door compared to the previous year. Still, enthusiasm for decorating has not faded. A strong 87% of those surveyed said they planned to decorate, and 55% said they preferred creepy decorations over fun or gory ones.
So whether your front porch features a glowing jack-o-lantern, a friendly ghost, or a skeleton that waves at the neighbors, you are in very good company this Halloween season.
