What is Your Neighborhood Scare Score?

The Spookiest ZIP Codes in the U.S.

As Halloween approaches, many of us are stocking up on candy, preparing costumes, and decking our homes with spooky décor. But did you know that how much candy, costumes, and Halloween decorations you buy might reveal just how into Halloween your neighborhood is? That’s the concept behind Instacart’s brand-new interactive map, Explore America’s Haunts, which ranks the Halloween-ness of every ZIP code based on its “Scare Score.”

So, what exactly is a Scare Score, and how does it work?

What’s a Scare Score?

Instacart created the Scare Score using Halloween-related purchase data from October 2023. The score is based on three key factors:

Total candy sold: Instacart looked at the total number of ounces of candy delivered in each ZIP code.

Costume sales: The total number of Halloween costume items sold, broken down per person in each area.

Halloween décor: The number of spooky decorations purchased, also calculated per person.

These data points combine to give each ZIP code a customized “Scare Score” that reflects just how into Halloween its residents are!

Local Favorites and Top-Sellers: Your ZIP Code’s Unique Flavor

In addition to Scare Scores, Instacart also shares insights into which candies are most popular in each ZIP code. They did this by identifying the top-sellers (based on the total weight of candy delivered) and local favorites, which are candies that sold at a higher rate in your area compared to the national average.

For example, if your ZIP code can’t get enough of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or perhaps has a soft spot for Sour Patch Kids, that local candy preference will show up on the map. This gives a fun and unique perspective on how Halloween tastes differ from one place to another.

Explore America’s Haunts: Discover the Spirit of Halloween Across the Country

Whether you’re curious to see how your neighborhood stacks up or you want to explore the spookiest ZIP codes in America, Explore America’s Haunts offers a fun and interactive way to dive into Halloween trends. The map not only ranks each area based on its Scare Score but also highlights candy favorites, allowing you to get a feel for how different regions celebrate the holiday.

Check out the map for yourself, and see if your neighborhood makes the list of the country’s most haunted haunts this Halloween season!

(FYI: I had to use a web-proxy to view Explore America's Haunts because it appears to be "configured to block access from your country".)