Density, walkability, and a high number of movie theaters per capita helped push Jersey City to No. 3 in WalletHub’s ranking of the best cities for Halloween.
Jersey City is known for a lot of things. Amazing restaurants, packed bars, gorgeous NYC views, dense walkable neighborhoods, and now, Halloween.
That’s right, Jersey City was just named the third best Halloween city in the nation in a new WalletHub analysis.
WalletHub ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 metrics, including crime rate, trick-or-treat stops, costume stores per capita, candy stores, forecasted weather, and more.
To no one’s surprise, our neighbors just across the Hudson in New York City ranked No.1 in the nation, Makes sense. But Jersey City’s presence at No. 3 is an impressive feat in its own right.
Why Jersey City
Jersey City has several factors going for it that make it such a great city to spend Halloween in. Among the city’s ranked, Jersey City enjoys the second-highest population density and fourth-highest walkability score, which WalletHub says suits trick-or-treating perfectly.
Safety is another big part. Jersey City posts the 42nd-lowest violent crime rate, 25th-lowest property crime rate, and 10th-lowest pedestrian fatality rate—making it a comparatively safe destination to spend the holiday.
Believe it or not, movie theaters play a role, too. Jersey City has a very high number per capita, meaning horror movies are on the itinerary this Halloween.
What really boosts the ranking is something synonymous with Halloween: trick-or-treating. Jersey CIty ranks No. 1 in the country for “trick-or-treating-friendliness,” which combines metrics like share of potential trick-or-treaters, population density, crime rate, and motor vehicle pedestrian crash rates. The Hudson County Halloween destination scores well across the board in this category.
Newark came in at No. 10 in the same national ranking, meaning New Jersey is actually home to two of the nation’s best Halloween cities.
Still need Halloween plans? Jersey City might just be the perfect spot to spend the holiday. Don’t just take it from me. The experts agree—it’s the third-best Halloween city in America.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
