Ranking the 50 Most Haunted States in America for Halloween 2024

American dream? Let’s talk about American nightmares. This expansive and storied country is brimming with ghost stories, apparitions, haunted houses, and other hot spots of paranormal activity that date back centuries and persist to the modern day. In which states are horror aficionados most likely to get their fix of the heebie-jeebies?

With Halloween right around the corner, we wanted to find out which state will give you the spooks the most. We uncovered the most haunted hotspots across the nation with the highest potential for spooky and spine-chilling encounters, many of which are perfect for ghost tours and ghost hunts. Here’s how we scored each state:

Spook Score 🕸️😱⚰️

• Number of haunted locations by population
• Founding date of oldest town or city
• Number of cemeteries by population
• Age of oldest cemetery

Creep Score 🏚️💀🕯️

• Number of unsolved murders by population
• Number of abandoned buildings

Boo Score 👻👹🧛

• Number of ghost towns by population
• Number of reported ghost sightings by population

*Read more about our sources and methodology here.

Key findings

• New Mexico is the most haunted state in the nation. Home to places such as the Acoma Pueblo, which is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited region in the entire Western Hemisphere, this southwestern state is the ideal location to commune with spirits of the distant past.
• New York is the Creepiest, with the highest Creep Score of any other state, with a very high rate of unsolved murders and more notable abandoned places than anywhere else in the nation. 
• Lovers of spooky cemeteries should head to West Virginia. This smaller state, with less than 2 million residents, is home to over 18,534 graveyards, the oldest of which dates back to 1734. 
• Terror tourists will be thrilled to find over 290 ghost towns and almost 1,900 documented ghost sightings in the state of Oklahoma.

The Top 10 Most Haunted States of America

Whether it is ancient cemeteries, abandoned factories, or brushes with paranormal activity that really gives you the creeps, you’re sure to find a rush of adrenaline in one of these super spooky states and hot spots for horror.

New Mexico is the most haunted state

While haunted prisons, industrial ghost towns, and unsolved murders leave the Midwest region steeped in paranormal intrigue. And old-timey New England ghost stories such as Sleepy Hollow, the horror writings of H.P. Lovecraft, and the notorious witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts give it a primary spot in the American imagination.

It’s New Mexico, a place where the ghosts of ancient civilizations and Wild West legends linger among its rugged landscapes, that ranks as the most haunted state in America.

1. The Most Haunted State: New Mexico

Home to human beings since 9200 BCE,  between abandoned adobe cities built by Ancestral Puebloans to colonial Wild West, — New Mexico’s ghosts have been haunting for thousands of years.

Tip of Terror: The Acoma Pueblo, 70 miles west of Albuquerque, maybe the oldest continuously occupied site in the Western Hemisphere. Acoma Indians lived in a village atop this sprawling mesa as early as 600 CE and Spanish missionaries arrived at the end of the 16th century. With thousands of years of history, including a brutal massacre of 800 Acoma Indians, the 2000 sq ft graveyard in the shadow of the mesa is among the most uniquely American haunted locations.

2. Michigan

With 19,323 chilling unsolved murders, from terrifying slaughters to cult murders, Michigan is a very creepy state. And that doesn’t even account for all the hauntings, including The Detroit Masonic Temple haunted by its architect who leaped from the roof, Rotary Parks Woods where screaming little girls in white dresses wander in the night, and many more.

Tip of Terror: Unsolved mysteries have long haunted Michigan, few are as well known as the tale of Jacob Crouch. Each year on November 21st, locals gather at the Reynolds Cemetery to witness a spectral reunion that has been a source of legends for over a century. The story begins November 21, 1883 when everyone in Jacob Crouch’s family home was brutally murdered, including his 9-month pregnant daughter Eunice, her husband, and a family friend. The killer was never found. 

3. West Virginia

The state’s coal mines are likely haunted, but the woodsy Appalachian state is covered in over 18,534 cemeteries, including the Hatfield Cemetery. The burial home to the Hatfield family is haunted by the ghosts of Devil Anse Hatfield and his sons, known for their feuding with the McCoy family. 

Tip of Terror: One of America’s most monstrous creatures has roots in West Virginia. The glaring red eyes of the Mothman were first spotted in 1967 near the abandoned WWII bunkers in Point Pleasant. Since then, the Mothman has evolved into the town’s most feared and beloved ghost story and urban legend. Point Pleasant is now home to a 12-foot steel statue and an entire museum dedicated to this humanoid creature.

4. Florida

Florida is no stranger to strange occurrences — whether it’s a bizarre Florida Man story or a haunted doll terrorizing celebrities. The truth is, Florida’s haunted history runs deep, and so does its number of unsolved murders (more on that later).

Tip of Terror: Miami’s Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables is marked by the fatal shooting of Gangster Thomas “Fatty” Walsh in 1929. Today, his spirit is said to haunt the 13th floor, mysteriously shaking glasses, slamming doors, and appearing in bathroom mirrors. One report claims that a couple was taken to the 13th floor; after the wife stepped out, the elevator shot down with her husband still inside. She was left hearing footsteps, laughter, and smelling cigar smoke in the shadows.

5. Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, you might find yourself wandering through eerie, abandoned buildings, but the state’s most haunted spot is not inside. It’s in Gettysburg, home to the battleground of one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War. More than 50,000 dead souls of Union and Confederate haunt the historic battlefield where so many fell. 

Tip of Terror: Once the most famous prisons in the world, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is widely known to be one of the most haunted places in America. Home to nearly 85,000 criminals in its long history, including the legendary mobster Al Capone. The Penitentiary closed in 1971 and is currently a historic site open to the public as a museum for tours, including many terrifying Halloween season ghost tours. Is there really paranormal activity within the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary? Check it out to find out for yourself.

6. Alaska

Alaska is full of ghost towns and ghosts. The Alaskan Hotel and Bar (1913) in Juneau is one of the most haunted hotels in the state, with hauntings that have literally caused at least one guest to jump from the window to his death.

Tip of Terror: The majestic Baranof Castle in Sitka may have crumbled, but it remains one of the most haunted places in Alaska. At the top of Castle Hill, legends claim that the spirit of a Russian aristocrat draped in dark garments and a black veil haunts visitors. Rather than be forced into a loveless marriage, the woman tragically ended her life on her wedding night. To this day, she wanders the hill, eternally mourning the life she lost and the love she never had.

7. Oklahoma

With fewer than 4 million residents, the Sooner State has 290 ghost towns to explore and plenty of ghost stories to match. Many of these abandoned communities were oil boom or lumber mill towns that met their demise during the Great Depression. Tornadoes flattened others.

Tip of Terror: Ingalls, Oklahoma, may look like the abandoned set of a Western movie, but this almost ghost town (home to just 150 people) was once a booming hideout for notorious criminals, including the Doolin-Dalton Gang. After a deadly shootout in the early 1890s, the town has faded into a boarded-up shell of an era, said to be haunted by the restless spirits of those outlaws and their victims.

8. Indiana

Paranormal activity and chilling ghostly apparitions haunt the state. From haunted historic theaters to dark tunnels, many of which have been validated with high EMF readings — a ghost hunters’ tool of choice for verifying otherworldly presences.

Tip of Terror: The Elkhart Civic Theatre, housed in the 1897 Bristol Opera House, is a hotspot for paranormal activity. Staff and guests have reported flying books, levitating objects, and the unsettling apparition of a dark-haired woman. The resident ghost, Percy, a Depression-era handyman, is believed to play pranks like rearranging tools and sending moving shafts of light across the room. Shadows, eerie sounds, and unexplained energy disruptions make this theater one of Indiana’s most spine-tingling haunted places.

9. Texas

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre may be based on the crimes of murderer Ed Gein, but the plot was largely fictional. Texas has plenty of other there are plenty of haunted houses and locations in Texas, including The Alamo. The Battle of the Alamo had hundreds of casualties, and the iconic landmark is considered San Antonio’s most haunted location.

Tip of Terror: The Hotel Galvez in Galveston, Texas, is one of the state’s most haunted locations. “The Lovelorn Lady” is the primary ghoul of this haunted hotel, a soon-to-be bride who tragically ended her life after finding out about her fiance’s death. Guests who have stayed a night on the fifth floor of Hotel Galvez have reportedly heard footsteps running down empty halls and doors inexplicably slamming in the twilight hours. Stay at this haunted hotel if you dare.

10. Missouri

Restless spirits wander across the states across the numerous old cemeteries to its most notorious landmarks.  Ghost stories surrounding prisons, mansions, and historic sites include references to strange noises, unexplained voices, and floating orbs or disembodied voices and shadowy figures.

Tip of Terror: Opened in 1836, The Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, once the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi, is notorious for its paranormal activity. After 168 years of housing violent inmates, its bloody and turbulent legacy has led to reports of apparitions, eerie noises, and unexplained phenomena. Witnesses report dramatic temperature drops to full- bodied apparitions, and even physical encounters. 

Top 10 States That Will Give You the Creeps the Most

We developed a Creep Score for every state according to its rate of unsolved murders and noteworthy abandoned places noted by Atlas Obscura.

Here are ten states where wandering around may send a chill down your spine and leave you with the unsettling feeling that someone is lurking in the shadows. 

The #1 state that will give you the creeps: New York

New York’s western and upstate region is a graveyard of abandoned buildings, more recognized by Atlas Obscura than there are in any other state in America. Among them is Buffalo’s Wonder Bread Factory. Once a symbol of American wholesomeness, the now decaying building stands vacant, after a forced shut down due to a deadly asbestos contamination. Photos show the 180,000-square-foot, five-story structure frozen in time, as if workers simply vanished mid-shift. 

2. Illinois

3. California

It’s not all sunny in California. Horrific structural icons, such as L.A.’s Cecil Hotel, where at least 80 people have died since it opened in 1924, rank among the most haunted hotels in America. Another abandoned California relic is the remains of the Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark, once a 1960s private retreat, now a sun-scorched ruin with faded waterslides and a haunting reminder of the folly of building a waterpark in the Mojave.

4. Michigan

Creepy abandoned gothic ruins, a sprawling 3 million square feet concrete automotive plant left to decay, and a crumbling high school are among a few of the forgotten buildings across the state. But what will truly send a child down your spine are the not-so-distant tales of unsolved murders: Chelsea Bruck on a 2014 Halloween night, the 1990 roadside tragedy that inspired Jeepers Creepers, and the most haunting mystery of all — the disappearance of union boss Jimmy Hoffa in 1975, whose fate remains unknown to this day. 

5. Maryland 

Maryland’s dark history is haunted by unsolved murders and abandoned places like the submerged Holland Island, now lost beneath the Chesapeake Bay. Among the state’s most chilling murder cases is the 1954 murder of 14-year-old Carolyn Wasilewski, whose beaten body was found on train tracks with the name “Paul” scrawled on her thigh. Despite numerous leads, including a suspect who later committed suicide, her killer was never found. Adding to the state’s legacy are cold cases like Jody LeCornu’s 1996 murder and the unsolved killing of Tracey Kirkpatrick in 1989.

6. District of Columbia

Washington, D.C., scores high in its creep factor due to having the highest density of unsolved murders in America, almost triple that of #2 Illinois. From the infamous murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer to the Freeway Phantom serial killer — the sheer number of unsolved murders in the nation’s capitol is unsettling. To add to the chill of that reality is the local Mount Olivet Cemetery, where the haunted soul of Mary Surratt, a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination, lingers. Beneath the city streets lies another creepy spot: the abandoned trolley tunnels of Dupont Underground, a shadowy labyrinth that only heightens D.C.’s chilling atmosphere. 

7. Florida

Florida is notorious for about 20,000 unsolved murders, including the infamous 1966 Tallahassee slayings of Robert, Helen, and Joy Sims. The state is also home to many abandoned landmarks marked by death, including the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where visitors hear giggles of drowned children and glimpse the ghostly keeper, Joseph Andreu, who fell from its 165-foot tower. Equally haunting is the Dome House on Ten Thousand Island, shrouded in legends and slowly being reclaimed by the sea, a ghostly testament to nature’s power.

8. Louisiana

Louisiana, especially New Orleans, is a beautiful place rich with vibrant culture, but with a disturbingly high number of unsolved murders and tales of eerie hauntings, it’s no surprise the state gives some people the chills. New Orleans alone has witnessed bizarre and violent mysteries for centuries, from the infamous Axe Man, who terrorized residents in 1918, to the Storyville Slayer, a still-unidentified killer. Among the most haunted spots is the Hotel St. Pierre in the French Quarter, said to be stalked by the spirit of a Confederate soldier. Le Pavillon Hotel is another paranormal hotspot, where guests are warned to avoid room 301, allegedly haunted by the ghost of a young girl killed outside the hotel.

9. Ohio

Rust Belt Ohio ranks high on the creep scale, thanks largely to its abundance of abandoned buildings. One is the long-abandoned Cincinnati Subway, a failed early 20th-century attempt at underground transportation, officially scrapped in 1948. Another haunting site is the Warner and Swasey Observatory in East Cleveland, once a prestigious research facility now left to decay. Covered in ivy and sporting gaping holes in its viewing dome, the observatory sits in silence, a relic of academic grandeur slowly succumbing to time.

10. Georgia

Georgia is another state likely to give you the creeps. For one, Savannah is known to be one of the most haunted cities in America. But the state’s paranormal reputation extends beyond a single city. For instance, Atlanta Prison Farm, an abandoned penitentiary in southeastern Atlanta, is notorious for ghost sightings, built on the grounds of a Civil War battle. Now a decaying, graffiti-covered ruin, the prison is off-limits to visitors, and trespassing is both dangerous and illegal. Though there’s talk of transforming the eerie site into a sprawling 500-acre park, the haunted history may be why no one’s dared to move forward with the project.

Terrified that you live in one of the most haunted states in the U.S.? Use the moving cost tool to find the best way to pack your bags and head for a ghost-free state!

Sources and methodology

To find the spookiest states in the USA, we assigned each state with a relative score of 0-10 according to factors in three categories:

🕸️😱⚰️ Spook Score

• The number of haunted locations per capita, as compiled in the Shadowlands Haunted Places Index, a comprehensive set of haunted places in the United States.
• The age of the state’s oldest town or city, as reported by TitleMax.
• The number of cemeteries per capita, as compiled by FindAGrave.com.
• The age of the state’s oldest cemetery, as reported by Laura Cahn for Reader’s Digest.

🏚️💀🕯️ Creep Score

• The number of unsolved homicides per capita, as compiled by Project Cold Case.
• The number of notable abandoned buildings, as curated by Atlas Obscura.

👻👹🧛 Boo Score

• The number of notable ghost towns (defined as a village, town, or city which has lost or experienced a steep decline in its residents but still features remnants of its buildings), as compiled on Wikipedia.
• The number of ghost sightings per capita as reported to GhostsOfAmerica.com, a crowd-sourced supernatural sighting forum.

All state population data is based on the most recent estimations from the census.