Halloween By the Numbers

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Halloween By the Numbers

Thursday October 28, 2010

Halloween, Oct. 31, 2010

From Halloween Stats: The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have changed dramatically. Today, many of the young and young at heart take a more light-spirited approach. They don scary disguises or ones that may bring on smiles when they go door to door for treats, or attend or host a Halloween party.

Trick or Treat!

36 million
The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2009 — children 5 to 13 — across the United States.
This number is up about 190,000 from a year earlier. Of course, many other children — older than 13, and younger than 5 — also go trick-or-treating. Source: 2009 population estimates .

111.3 million
Number of occupied housing units across the nation in 2009 — all potential stops for trick-or-treaters. This was 111.4 in 2009.

92%
Percentage of households with residents who consider their neighborhood safe. In addition, 78 percent said there was no place within a mile of their homes where they would be afraid to walk alone at night. This was 93% in 2009.

Jack-o’-Lanterns and Pumpkin Pies

931 million pounds
Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2008. Illinois led the country by producing 496 million pounds of the vined orange gourd. Pumpkin patches in California, Pennsylvania and New York also provided lots of pumpkins: Each state produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $141 million.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was 1.1 billion pounds as reported for 2009.

Where to Spend Halloween?

Some places around the country that may put you in the Halloween mood are:

Transylvania County, N.C. (30,203 residents)
Tombstone, Ariz. (population 1,562)
Pumpkin Center, N.C. (population 2,228); and Pumpkin Bend, Ark. (population 307)
Cape Fear in New Hanover County, N.C. (population 15,711); and Cape Fear in Chatham County, N.C. (population 1,170).
Skull Creek, Neb. (population 274)

Candy and Costumes

Shopping
Halloween costumes and props are becoming a big part of our favorite holiday. The number of specialty store seem to be increasing each year with the popularity of October 31. and our favorite event. Props are also becoming more elaborate as technology progresses.

1,317
Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2008, employing 38,369 people. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 146, followed by Pennsylvania, with 115.

422
Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2008. These establishments employed 16,860 people. California led the nation in this category, with 47 establishments.