- A new poll unveils Utahns' Halloween plans and the budgets that go with them.
- Halloween spending in the U.S. is likely to set a new record in 2025.
- This year's top costumes for adults, kids and pets include superheroes and ghosts.
An intricate Victorian funeral scene is playing out in front of the Salt Lake City home of Kyle and Mikhale Minnick, a tableau that includes a casket-bearing carriage hearse featuring a skeletal coachman, draft horse and a gathering of undead mourners.
The display is a standout on the Minnicks’ quiet street in the Liberty Wells neighborhood and has been a labor of love for the couple who said this is the first year they decided to “go big” on outdoor decor celebrating All Hallow’s Eve. But while the scene is highly detailed and feels extravagant, the Minnicks kept their Halloween budget in line by seeking out second-hand deals and making much of the decor themselves.
“Last year we just started with the Grim Reaper animatronic,” Kyle Minnick told the Deseret News. “This year, we’ve just been going crazy with the decorations, looking up YouTube videos and figuring out how to do this stuff.”
That stuff includes dozens of scary carved pumpkins, gowns and tuxedos for the mourners and even custom made livery for the hearse-pulling skeleton horse.
“The bridle we got for this guy (the skeleton horse) was too small so we bought some leather making tools,” Kyle Minnick said. “Mikhale has gotten good at making things out of leather. We’ve had a lot of fun putting it together.”
What Utahns do for Halloween
A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll dug into the details on what Utahns have planned for Halloween, and it turns out the Minnicks have plenty of company when it comes to going all-in on the fall celebration.
An overwhelming majority of poll respondents, 81%, said they plan on celebrating Halloween this year and among that group, 54% have plans to put up decorations outside their homes. Almost as many, 53%, are decorating inside as well.
Halloween also appears to be a generational thing. The survey found 92% of millennials plan to celebrate the day, compared to 65% of baby boomers. Gen Xers and Gen Zers were both above 80%.
And though they aren’t apt to celebrate like younger people, the poll showed baby boomers were as nearly into decorating inside and outside their homes as other generations. Millennials are the biggest Halloween decorators.
While a U.S. economy that’s seeing persistent inflation and a weakening jobs market has put increasing pressure on household budgets, most poll participants who reported they would not be celebrating Halloween this year said it wasn’t about the money.
When asked whether the current economic situation impacts their decision not to celebrate Halloween, 79% of respondents said that wasn’t the reason.
In spite of widespread economic challenges, Halloween celebrants are set to spend a record amount in 2025, according to a report from the Nation Retail Federation.
The group is projecting Halloween-related spending to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, up from $11.6 billion last year and well past the previous record of $12.2 billion set in 2023.
“Even with concerns about price increases due to tariffs, Halloween continues to resonate with consumers of all ages,” Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights, said in the report. “Whether it’s dressing in costume or carving a pumpkin, more consumers plan to take part in Halloween activities and traditions.”
How much will Halloween cost this year?
While a plurality of Deseret News poll participants who are celebrating Halloween this year, 40% said they plan on spending less than $50 on Halloween-related purchases, 34% report their spending will be in the $50-$149 range and 14% said they will shell out $150-$299. A smaller group, 6%, have Halloween budgets in the $300-$499 range and just 2% will spend over $500.
Utahns’ Halloween spending plans are roughly in line with the NRF’s national survey data which projects per-person spending will hit $114.45 this year, nearly $11 more than Halloween 2024 and up from the previous record of $108.24 set in 2023.
Utahns weighed in on their favorite Halloween activities in the new Deseret News poll, with 75% getting ready to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters; 61% reporting plans to watch a Halloween-themed movie; 51% will carve pumpkins, and 25% will make a haunted house visit part of their celebrations.
The Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics statewide poll of registered Utah voters was conducted Oct. 17-25 by Morning Consult. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Of course, no proper Halloween celebration is complete without a costume. The NRF estimates Americans will spend $3.4 billion on costumes for adults and children this year. And furry family friends, too, will be part of the spooky mix, with spending on costumes for pets expected to reach $860 million, according to an NRF survey.
So, what will everyone (and their pets) be wearing this year? Here are the top costume choices for 2025, according to the NRF:
Adults
- Witch
- Vampire
- Pirate
- Cat/Batman
- Superman
Children
- Spider-man
- Princess
- Witch
- Ghost
- Superhero
Pets
- Pumpkin
- Hot dog
- Bumblebee
- Ghost/Superhero
- Bat