With Halloween just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to round up the most haunted cities in the country. Looking at the top 200 most populated cities in the United States, we took to Yelp to determine which cities had the highest fear factor based on number of cemeteries and haunted houses per capita.
With a bit of math, we calculated the concentration of “hauntedness” for each city to come up with our final list of spooky cities. Here are our top 10 most haunted cities:
10. Thornton, CO
Not only is Colorado’s largest haunted house located here, but the city of Thornton is also known for its allegedly haunted Riverdale Road, a rural road edged with twisted cottonwood trees. There are various legends and stories about Riverdale Road and supposedly the Gates of Hell are located along this road.
9. Yonkers, NY
The most populated city on our list is Yonkers, New York, which contains several haunted destinations, including the Oakland Cemetery. It is rumored that three white ghostly figures lurk near the hill towards the center of the cemetery.
8. Garden Grove, CA
Ranking in at the eighth most haunted city on our list is Garden Grove, California, home to the historic Ware-Stanley House. While it stands present day to house the historical society and serve as a museum, it was believed to be haunted.
7. Paterson, NJ
Though there are many reported ghost sightings in Paterson, the city is also home to Brighton Asylum, a haunted house that hosts attractions for Halloween and other holidays. Brighton Asylum was named one of the scariest places on earth by the Today Show.
6. Palmdale, CA
From the child who haunts the Magic Mountain theme park to phantom hitchhikers along Brea Canyon Road, there have been various reports of paranormal activity throughout Palmdale, CA. Perhaps the greatest mystery surrounds Palmdale’s Una Lake, which is believed to be haunted with the ghostly remains of swimmers lost beneath its murky depths.
5. Rancho Cucamonga, CA
The residents of Rancho Cucamonga get into the spirit of their haunted reputation with the RC Haunt, a fun and frightening haunted house experience that takes over the town every Halloween. With many nearby cemeteries, the unassuming city has a sense of spookiness and a long history of ghost sitings.
4. Bridgeport, CT
Paranormal investigators across the country are very familiar with Bridgeport because it is home to the Lindley Street home, the “World’s Most Haunted House.” With an incredible number of reliable witnesses to the unusual activity in the house, it’s no wonder the events have been chronicled into a published book.
3. Santa Clarita, CA
The city of Santa Clarita is very curious about ghosts and paranormal activity. In fact, it even has a dedicated team of paranormal investigators. Santa Clarita also hosts an annual haunted jailhouse event around Halloween with themed activities and costume contests.
2. Ontario, CA
Ontario contains many cemeteries and is also home to the site of the historic Hotel Beverly, which is believed to be haunted. Former guests and neighbors reported seeing shadows, hearing footsteps and something peeking out a third-floor window. The hotel has long since been closed.
1. Pomona, CA
Finally, coming in first on the list is Pomona, a city that not only has many great Halloween events every year, but has many cemeteries and memorial parks, helping it to take the spookiest spot on our list.
Haunted happenings
With many reported hauntings and ghost sightings across the country, we can never be completely certain what’s real. But we’re sure there’s nothing ghostly about our great Halloween gifts that will make the spookiest day of the year a lot more fun.