PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvanians are among America’s most generous Halloween hosts, ranking near the top for candy spending and trick-or-treater turnout, according to a new national study by Solitaired. But even the state’s friendliest neighborhoods have a few residents who occasionally keep the porch lights off.
The study, which analyzed spending, participation, and generosity across all 50 states, ranked Pennsylvania 11th nationwide for overall generosity. Households in the Commonwealth spend an average of $59.35 on Halloween candy — the third-highest amount in the nation — and welcome an average of 51 trick-or-treaters each year, the seventh-highest total.
Eighty-three percent of Pennsylvanians said they hand out candy on Halloween, placing the state 10th overall for participation. Yet, in true human fashion, generosity has its limits — 45 percent of respondents admitted to occasionally pretending not to be home when the doorbell rings.
Nationally, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Georgia ranked as the most generous states, while North Carolina, Oregon, and Iowa were identified as the stingiest. On average, Americans spend just under $50 on Halloween candy each year, and more than half say it’s important to be known as the “good candy house” in their neighborhood.
The study also revealed that more than one in five Americans skip trick-or-treating because of rising costs, while others cite a lack of neighborhood participation or competing plans. Still, for most Pennsylvanians, Halloween remains a community tradition — one defined by front-porch lights, overflowing candy bowls, and the occasional moment of guilty silence when the doorbell rings again.
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