From Costumes to Candy: The Biggest Halloween Trends of the Year
For millions of Americans, Halloween is that fun-filled time of year that brings out the inner kid in them. They can dress up in their favorite costume, carve up some pumpkins or turn their front lawn into some ghoulish, post-apocalyptic landscape – all while eating voluminous amounts of candy. What’s not to love?
But all those costumes, decorations, candy and other supplies also provide a substantial boost to America’s retail industry. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans are expected to spend a record-high $13.5 billion on Halloween-related items this year, up 3.1% from last year. On average, that translates to $115.14 per person. In 2025, total Halloween spending increased by 13%.
The NRF estimates that 74% of all Americans are expected to participate in some type of Halloween activity. This is up slightly from the 73% reported last year. 61% of Americans will be handing out candy, once again, making it the most popular of Halloween festivities. Dressing up in a costume (50%) came in second while decorating their home or yard (42%) and carving pumpkins (42%) tied for third.
For both kids and adults, one of the more tasty elements of Halloween is the candy – lots of candy. This season, the NRF projects that Americans will spend a gut-busting $4.2 billion on Halloween candy. In a nationwide survey by CandyStore.com, the Top 5 most popular Halloween candies this year are No. 1 M&M’s followed by Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Nerds Gummy Clusters. Locally, in Iowa, the No. 1 Halloween candy is M&M’s while in Illinois the top selection this year is Sour Patch Kids.
CandyStore.com also conducted a nationwide survey on what Americans deem to be the worst Halloween candy. This year, respondents voted Candy Corn to be the worst Halloween candy one can receive followed by Circus Peanuts, Peanut Butter Kisses, Peeps and Necco Wafers. But Candy Corn poses a bit of a wild card. Many Americans love the candy while many others don’t. In fact, in its survey, 56% of respondents said they “love” Candy Corn while 44% said they “hate” it. In three states – Maryland, North Dakota and Utah – Candy Corn was actually voted the most popular Halloween candy.
The NRF also estimates that Americans will spend $4.4 billion on Halloween costumes this season. About $920 million (21%) of this total will be spent on costumes for pets. According to the NRF’s 2026 survey, the No. 1 costume this year for adults will be a witch, followed by a vampire and Batman. For kids, the No. 1 costume will be Spiderman, followed by a superhero and a witch. The No. 1 costume for pets this year will be a pumpkin, followed by a hot dog and a ghost.
As an interesting tidbit, Illinois is the pumpkin-producing capital of the nation. In 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Illinois produced 533 million pounds of pumpkins – nearly 37% of total U.S. production. California is No. 2 at 162 million pounds while Indiana is No. 3 at 135 million pounds. Illinois produces more pumpkins than the No. 2 through No. 5 states combined. For you pumpkin aficionados, the world record for the largest pumpkin was set in 2026 and weighed in at 2,856 pounds. Likewise, the record for the world’s largest pumpkin pie was set in 2010 and weighed 3,699 pounds and was 20 feet in diameter. The record-breaking pie was big enough to produce roughly 5,000 servings and took 13 hours to bake in a specially made oven.
There’s something in Halloween for everyone. Whether it’s handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, dressing up as your childhood superhero or simply decorating your office cubicle. I wish you all a very fun and safe Halloween season.
Mark M. Grywacheski, Investment Advisor
Quad Cities Investment Group is a Registered Investment Adviser.
This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Quad Cities Investment Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Quad Cities Investment Group unless a client service agreement is in place.