These are the top Halloween movies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware

PENNSYLVANIA - Turns out your zip code dictates more than your property taxes. It also drives your Halloween movie queue!

Regional favorites

Local perspective:

A deep dive into seasonal search trends uncovered a split between classic slashers, modern psychological thrillers, and a shared appreciation for 1980s comedy across the region.

Pennsylvania 

Pennsylvanians love a good local connection. The state heavily favors the mall-zombie masterpiece "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), which was famously filmed just outside of Pittsburgh. When it comes to ongoing cinematic universes, the death-dodging "Final Destination" takes the prize. For viewers looking for a lighter, family-friendly evening, Pennsylvania residents know who they're gonna call: "Ghostbusters!"

Delaware 

In Delaware, residents prefer a much different flavor of fright. The mirror-summoned terror of "Candyman" is their standalone favorite, alongside the visually gruesome "Hellraiser" films for franchise viewing. For a milder, comedic night, they dial back the gore and tune into the 1989 suburban paranoia parody, "The 'Burbs."

New Jersey 

Over in New Jersey, modernized psychological thrills win out with the 2020s "The Invisible Man." Chucky clearly has a hold on the state as well, with "Child's Play" standing as the most popular horror franchise. But when it's time for upbeat, catchy Halloween vibes, residents love the musical antics of the 1986 classic "Little Shop of Horrors."

National trends

Big picture view:

When looking at the country as a whole, a few major consensus winners emerged.

In the franchise category, "Final Destination" absolutely dominated the competition. The anxiety-inducing series topped the search charts in 10 states, which is twice as many as its closest runners-up, "Candyman" and "Saw." For standalone scares, the country was split evenly between classic and contemporary horror. The 1976 prom-night terror "Carrie" and the 2020 psychological thriller "The Invisible Man" tied for first place, each winning over five different states.

For viewers looking to turn down the terror, a surprising sleeper hit took the national crown. The cult-favorite 1989 comedy "The 'Burbs" beat out heavy hitters like "Ghostbusters" and "Practical Magic," ranking as the number one Halloween watch in eight states.

The data also revealed a heavy "hometown hero" bias. Audiences frequently sought out horror that hit close to home, with over a dozen states crowning movies that were set or filmed right in their own backyards.

Data behind the study

Dig deeper:

To figure out exactly what viewers are queuing up in each region, Only In Your State pulled a full year of search metrics.

The research team first built specific watchlists based on highly rated IMDb titles. They created a pool of 100 top-rated horror movies, a separate list of 25 massive horror franchises, and a lighter lineup of 60 family-friendly Halloween hits.

From there, they turned to Google Trends. By analyzing online search patterns from across the United States over a 12-month period (ending in October 2026), the researchers were able to measure which states were searching for specific titles the most relative to the rest of the country.

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