Ranking the 50 Most Haunted States in America for Halloween 2026
New Mexico is the most haunted state in America in 2026, according to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis of 10 data sources across all 50 states and DC. It ranks #4 for Spook factor and #2 for Creep factor, backed by 1,700+ UFO sightings and the 400-year-old capital of Santa Fe. Below are the full rankings, the creepiest states, and where ghost towns cluster.
Sure, America’s oldest cemeteries and iconic haunted asylums haven’t changed much over the past few years. But the number of unsolved murders, UFO sightings, and ghost reports has.
So, in honor of spooky season, we wanted to know where the U.S.’s most hair-raising places are right now.
To find out, we looked at scary phenomena across three categories:
- Spook factor: The number and density of haunted places, the oldest city, the number of cemeteries, and the oldest cemetery
- Creep factor: The number and density of unsolved murders, abandoned places, and UFO sightings
- Boo factor: The number and density of ghost sightings and ghost towns
What did we discover?
New Mexico is the most haunted state in America. From ghost towns to UFO legends, it’s the nation’s top realm where haunted history meets extraterrestrial mystery.
*Read more about our sources and methodology here.
Key findings
- #1 New Mexico’s high Creep and Spook Scores make it the most haunted state in moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, with one of the oldest cities in the dataset (416 years old), Acoma Pueblo’s centuries-old cemetery, established in 1629, and over 1,700 UFO sightings.
- Northern states account for 6 of America’s top 10 most haunted states, from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania and Alaska.
- New Hampshire’s spine-tingling colonial vibes earn it the highest Spook Score, thanks to dense historical settlements (Portsmouth was founded in 1623) and burial grounds dating to the 1640s.
- California’s winning Creep Score is driven by 245 abandoned sites (2nd to Texas’ 385) and an unsolved murder rate (with the nation’s largest unsolved case load overall by far, at 52,480).
- Boo Score winner South Dakota joins other high-scoring prairie states in a region where ghost towns and ghost sightings track together.
What are the 10 most haunted states in America?
According to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, these 10 states have the highest combined Spook, Creep, and Boo Scores in the country. Whether it is ancient cemeteries, abandoned factories, or brushes with paranormal activity that really give you the creeps, you’re sure to find a rush of adrenaline in one of these hot spots for horror.
#1 New Mexico is the most haunted state in America
The Land of Enchantment ranks in the top third of all categories, offering full-spectrum chills.
That’s due to its historic settlement advantage: Santa Fe predates Plymouth Rock, and Native American, Spanish, and frontier mythologies meld across generations to create a uniquely rich hauntlore.
#2 West Virginia
Consistently strong across categories, West Virginia has the highest cemetery density in the nation (1,114 per 100K residents, totalling almost 20K cemeteries in a small state). Its coal mining history has created abundant abandoned places, ghost towns, and tragedies that fuel ghost stories.
#3 New Hampshire
Achieving a perfect 10 in the Spook Score category, New Hampshire boasts 259 cemeteries per 100K residents and settlements dating back to 1623. Colonial heritage isn’t all that New Hampshire’s chill-seekers find in the Granite State: 90.5 UFO sightings per 100K residents hint that the Granite State’s ghosts might have some company from beyond the stars.
#4 Pennsylvania
With 649 haunted places and 13,802 cemeteries statewide, Pennsylvania’s sheer volume overcomes more modest per-capita rates. The state’s strong ghost sighting numbers (17.9 per 100K) echo centuries of tragedy, from Valley Forge starvations to mining catastrophes like the Centralia underground inferno. Add 10,314 unsolved murders, and you understand why Pennsylvania’s dead don’t keep quiet.
#5 Michigan
Michigan has the 3rd-highest unsolved murder rate in the country (206.6 cases per 100K residents, totalling 20,765 cases), along with 27.9 ghost sightings per 100K. Add 1.2 abandoned places per 100K, and the state’s industrial decay, shaped by the auto industry’s collapse, forms a foreboding backdrop of empty factories.
#6 Massachusetts
Home to Plymouth (1620) and the Salem witchcraft trials, Massachusetts leverages historical clout with 4,050 unsolved murders (57.9 per 100K residents). Although ghost towns are rare (.19 ghost towns per 100K), its colonial cemeteries and frequent UFO sightings (40.8 per 100K) solidify its supernatural reputation. Further, travel its woodland trails and you’ll have to watch out for headless horsemen.
#7 Missouri
The “Show Me” state reveals a long history of tragic death, like 271 cemeteries per 100K residents (16,706 total) and 121 unsolved murders per 100K. From Jesse James’ outlaw days to being the jumping-off point for doomed wagon trails on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, Missouri’s 27.5 ghost sightings per 100K may reflect the grim reality of its pioneer past, where westward dreams could easily end in unmarked graves.
#8 Maine
Scoring 7.65 overall despite a small population, Maine maximizes its metrics with 532.7 cemeteries per 100K residents (7,338 total) and 90.8 UFO sightings per 100K. Its 400+-year-old settlements and 58.9 ghost sightings per 100K prove that isolation and age make the veil between worlds especially thin.
#9 Alaska
The Last Frontier dominates in isolation-driven metrics: 76.7 unsolved mysteries and 10.6 ghost towns per 100K (78 total). And with 90.7 UFO sightings per 100K across vast wilderness, Alaska’s 8.89 Creep Score shows how remoteness ensures dark presences can flourish undisturbed.
#10 Florida
Florida hides a darker side beneath its beaches and swamps: 20,000 unsolved murders and 263 ghost towns. It’s also home to the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, founded in 1565, and the oldest cemetery. The state’s age and eerie legacy secure its place in the top ten.
Which states have the most haunted places and oldest cemeteries?
In moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, the Spook Score combines a location’s number and age of cemeteries and the age of its oldest settlement to assess how much of the past hangs in the air, and how many ghouls per living resident permeate the streets.
New Hampshire’s #1 Spook Score stems from its long-standing supernatural history, with more than 5 haunted places for every 100K state residents. That means ghost hunters will always find a quiet corner alone with ominous vibes. That adds up to 72 total haunted locations and 3,597 total cemeteries, including some with graves that potentially date back to the 1640s.
Start with Hollis’ Pine Hill Cemetery, where locals swear that the pointing finger on Abel Blood’s grave moves as it tries to identify the 19th-century killer who was never brought to justice.
When you’re done, visit Star Island’s Oceanic Hotel, where the top floor’s empty, but guests who hear the sound of moving furniture and footsteps swear otherwise.
Overall, it’s hard to beat the top-scoring New England states for their centuries-old cities and cemeteries. #2 Rhode Island has a high concentration of haunted places (6.21 per 100K residents), plus a solid cemetery density, while #3 Maine ranks high due to its very old founding city (Kittery is 402 years old) and its cemetery density and age.
However, New England’s 17th-century graveyard energy doesn’t mean it sweeps the top 5: other historical heavy-hitters, like New Mexico with its 1610 mission settlement in Santa Fe, and Virginia, with its colonial presence, also headline this category. But they all share deep historical roots in common: each top-5 state boasts a founding city and a cemetery over 300 years old.
Which state has the most UFO sightings and unsolved murders?
According to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, California has the highest Creep Score in America. The Creep Score isn’t about a deep, spooky history. It’s about other types of paranormal phenomena that might give you the heebie jeebies: a high number of unsolved murders, abandoned places where explorers might dare to tread, and the number and density of UFO sightings.
What are the 10 Creepiest States in America?
According to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, these are the 10 states with the highest Creep Scores.
#1 California
California excels based on a balanced profile of creepy factors, from its #2 abandoned places rank to its 52,480 unsolved murders and its sheer volume of UFO sightings: 16,940 (over twice Florida’s tally, the next-highest in the nation).
Its high abandoned place ranking reflects the state’s 19th-century Gold Rush history, which dotted modern California with the remnants of boom and bust cycles born of dreamers from another age. With ~245 documented abandoned sites, Golden Staters have the unique ability to explore derelict mills, mines, rail yards, and resorts galore.
It gets even more unsettling: the state hosts abandoned sites like a desert waterpark with a tragic backstory, the entrance portal to a sanitarium, steeped in cult lore, and a derelict ghost fleet. And California compounds its abandoned places score with a cluster of decommissioned midcentury military bases; the state lost 19 major bases in the post-Cold War era, more than any other state at the time.
There are also plenty of unsolved crimes for Californians to wonder about…and perhaps, plenty of undetected murderers to mull over on the next moonless night when you’re out strolling past a dead waterpark.
#2 New Mexico
The country’s UFO vortex, New Mexico leads the pack 33% over Colorado, so residents have a significantly higher chance of spying a little green man. Roswell (1947) sits at the center of America’s saucer mythology, though official reports tied the craft debris to weather balloons. Nevertheless, the vast deserts, secretive military installations, and rich indigenous history of “Sky Beings” have made it a magnet for otherworldly rumors.
#3 Alaska
Alaska’s a top-10 in the UFO department, which, for a vast wilderness state, reflects a highly disproportionate number of sky lights and uninvited visitors. Lock your cabin doors if you’re a believer in the JAL 1628 Incident, the 1986 event where a pilot reported massive, luminous orbs hovering over the frozen frontier.
#4 Arizona
In 1997, the Phoenix Lights united hundreds of witnesses, including actor and pilot Kurt Russell, who insisted they’d all seen the floating V-shaped formation. Whether military flares or extraterrestrial interlopers, the lights solidified this New Mexico neighbor as another UFO hotspot in the desert. With over 5,000 reported sightings, it’s clear the lights are brighter out here than in most states.
#5 Colorado
Colorado rises into the top 10 by virtue of its abandoned places; with a total score of 8.95, it ranks #5 overall in the Creep category, mostly due to its abundant mines and abandoned pioneer buildings that seem frozen in time, as if the men and their mining gear might return at any moment.
#6 Ohio
Ohio excels in abandoned sites, with 158 total sprinkled across the rolling midwestern farmland. The crown jewel is “Helltown,” a 20th-century ghost town made up of 1970s buyouts where closed roads and abandoned churches (with their inverted cross decorations) spur local rumors of haunted buses and Satanic cults.
#7 Missouri
Missouri lands in the top 10 due to its high number of abandoned buildings and a strong history of unsolved murders. In other words, Missouri’s creepiness comes from the places people left behind, as well as the violent histories accompanying them.
#8 Michigan
Coming in #3 to the District of Columbia and Louisiana, Michigan is one of the country’s unsolved murder capitals. With a total of 20,765 murders still open on the books (207 per 100K residents), thousands of Michigan families are still waiting for answers.
#9 New York
New York comes in behind California in the abandoned places category, which keeps New York in the top 10 despite low UFO activity. From State Hospitals to military mind control camps, New York is a curious East Coast case where abandonment isn’t just about whole communities vanishing when a vein was tapped out. Here, dead rail lines, collapsed resorts, and rusting fleets provide just as much disquiet as a mine shaft ever could.
#10 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s high abandonment factor makes up for mid-range UFO activity and unsolved murders. Nevertheless, Keystone Staters will find a massive, decaying infrastructure to make the hair on their arms stand on end. The state is home to the tragic Centralia mine fire and Eastern State Penitentiary, Al Capone’s one-time “home” and today a ghastly reminder that its enthusiasm for solitary confinement continues to reap the echoes of human suffering.
Which states have the most ghost towns and ghost sightings?
According to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, South Dakota has the highest Boo Score in America. Believe it or not, a place can be haunted by a lengthy historical timeline and a bumper crop of spooky old gravemarkers and creaking floorboards, but deliver frighteningly few ghost sightings. Our Boo Factor, therefore, differs from the Spook Factor, where a decaying vibe is key. A high Boo Score means something slightly different: that a place has an excess of ghost towns and ghost sightings.
#1 South Dakota, along with #2 Oklahoma, #3 Texas, #4 Kansas, and #5 North Dakota, top the list of states with the most ghost sightings and towns.
With 3.86 ghost sightings per 100K residents, South Dakota is one of the most likely states for residents to glimpse a transparent Victorian dress floating down the hall. And with 226 ghost towns, South Dakota’s density of abandoned cities is 5th overall.
That ghost town history is pronounced in South Dakota since the Black Hills gold and silver finds were particularly vulnerable to extinction. In the state, the rush spun up some 500+ patchy camps in the late 1800s to mine for mixed ores, but those miniature communities couldn’t sustain larger economies. When the mines closed, most became ghost towns overnight.
Today, many prairie states have a high ghost factor and a high density of ghost towns. Besides South Dakota, among the top states:
Oklahoma ranks #8 in ghost sightings and #3 in ghost towns.
Kansas ranks #2 in sightings and #10 in ghost towns.
Why? These states have low populations, so they’re favored by per-capita math. But they’re also places where rail and boom/bust settlement left a footprint of towns that later thinned, leaving a cache of abandoned buildings along with dark skies and ghost-town cultures, both of which favor spooky stories and on-the-horizon sightings.
Some states, like Texas (#1 in ghost towns but #22 in sightings) and North Dakota (#24 in towns and tied at #2 in sightings), don’t align as perfectly, illustrating that states have their own unique mix, and while the pattern is often strong, not all ghost towns have an active population of dearly departed residents.
What are the least haunted states in America?
According to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, the District of Columbia is the least haunted place in America, followed by Hawaii, Idaho, Delaware, and Nebraska. These five finish at the bottom of the overall ranking with low scores in most or all of the Spook, Creep, and Boo categories.
- #51 District of Columbia: DC ranks dead last for ghost towns and ghost sightings (#51 Boo) and lands in the bottom 10 for both Spook (#42) and Creep (#44).
- #50 Hawaii: Hawaii ranks #38 or lower in every category: #38 for Spook, #43 for Creep, and #44 for Boo.
- #49 Idaho: Idaho lands in the bottom half of all three categories, at #45 for Spook, #40 for Creep, and #30 for Boo.
- #48 Delaware: Delaware’s history earns it a #9 Spook rank, but the state finishes #49 for both Creep and Boo.
- #47 Nebraska: Nebraska ranks #10 for Boo thanks to its ghost towns and ghost sightings, but its #50 Creep rank pulls it near the bottom overall.
How much does it cost to move out of the most haunted state?
A long-distance move out of New Mexico costs $1,410–$7,990+, with 2–3 bedroom homes averaging $3,196–$4,230, according to moveBuddha’s New Mexico moving cost data.
For the most fitting escape route, look to Idaho: it’s the 3rd-least haunted state in our ranking and the #2 most popular state to move to in 2026, with 1.65 searches for moves in for every 1 out, according to the moveBuddha Moving Trends Report. Moving from New Mexico to Idaho costs $1,330–$6,500 with full-service movers, based on 694 real quotes from moveBuddha users as of October 2026. A moving container on the same 1,038-mile route runs $1,470–$2,920 for a 2–3 bedroom home.
Not everyone is running from the ghosts, though. New Mexico’s in-to-out move ratio is up 24 percentage points since 2025, one of the biggest gains in the country, and Las Cruces, NM, is 2026’s #2 move-to city, with 3.44 inbound searches for every 1 outbound. Other haunted heavy-hitters are drawing new residents, too: Maine (#8 most haunted) ranks #10 among move-to states, and Boo Score winner South Dakota ranks #4.
The haunted Northeast is a different story. New Hampshire (#3 most haunted) and Massachusetts (#6 most haunted) rank #44 and #42 for inbound moves, making them two of the least popular states to move to in 2026.
Final Warnings for the Living
The hot, dry air of New Mexico’s desert preserves ghost towns that often outnumber living ones. Here, abandoned buildings stand like tombstones under endless, alien-filled skies, and at night, coyote calls can sound eerily like the cries of every prospector who vanished into mine shafts blasted into the hills.
But the desert doesn’t have a monopoly on scary.
In New England’s forests, colonial apparitions fire Revolutionary cannonballs.
And in the plains, pioneers, still strolling the abandoned saloons they once knew in life, are common.
Ultimately, there’s no definitive “spooky map” of the country, where many kinds of scares can exist side by side. Every region conjures its own terrors from its history, be they mine collapses or battlefield massacres. And that means that the ghosts we encounter are likely those created from whichever state we’re already in, with stories shaped by centuries about what happened there, and what may wait for us in the dark.
Terrified that you live in one of the most haunted states in the U.S.? Use the moving cost calculator to compare quotes before you head for a ghost-free state. moveBuddha users save 30% on average by comparing quotes instead of booking the first one they get.
Most haunted states FAQ
What is the most haunted state in America?
New Mexico is the most haunted state in America, according to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis. It ranks #4 for Spook Score and #2 for Creep Score, with more than 1,700 UFO sightings, a capital city founded in 1610, and Acoma Pueblo’s cemetery, established in 1629.
Which state has the most UFO sightings?
California has the most UFO sightings of any state, with 16,940 reports to the National UFO Reporting Center. That’s more than twice the total for Florida, the state with the next-highest count, according to moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis.
Which state has the most unsolved murders?
California has the most unsolved murders of any state, with 52,480 open cases, according to Project Cold Case data used in moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis. By rate, the District of Columbia and Louisiana rank highest, followed by Michigan at 206.6 unsolved cases per 100K residents.
Which state has the most ghost towns?
Texas has the most ghost towns of any state, ranking #1 for ghost towns in moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis. South Dakota, with 226 ghost towns, earns the highest overall Boo Score because it pairs a high density of ghost towns with frequent ghost sightings.
What’s the oldest city in the U.S.?
St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565, is the oldest city in the U.S. dataset moveBuddha used for its 2026 Haunted States analysis. Santa Fe, New Mexico, founded in 1610, is the oldest state capital in the ranking.
How did we rank the most haunted states?
To find the spookiest states in the USA for moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis, we assigned each state 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 and the density of unsolved homicides, as compiled by Project Cold Case.
- The density of abandoned locations, by UER.
- UFO sightings and density of UFO sightings, from The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) Reports
Boo Score
- The number and density of notable ghost towns (defined as a village, town, or city that has lost or experienced a steep decline in its residents but still features remnants of its buildings), as compiled on Wikipedia.
- The number and density 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 estimates from the census.
Fair use: Journalists, bloggers, and creators are welcome to use this data and our infographics with a link back to this page as the source.
Detailed ranking for all category scores:
| State | Haunted State Rank | Spook Rank | Creep Rank | Boo Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 25 | 19 | 33 | 24 |
| Alaska | 9 | 34 | 3 | 12 |
| Arizona | 37 | 48 | 4 | 32 |
| Arkansas | 29 | 24 | 37 | 14 |
| California | 21 | 49 | 1 | 11 |
| Colorado | 32 | 50 | 5 | 16 |
| Connecticut | 27 | 7 | 23 | 50 |
| Delaware | 48 | 9 | 49 | 49 |
| District of Columbia | 51 | 42 | 44 | 51 |
| Florida | 10 | 13 | 18 | 31 |
| Georgia | 28 | 29 | 24 | 25 |
| Hawaii | 50 | 38 | 43 | 44 |
| Idaho | 49 | 45 | 40 | 30 |
| Illinois | 16 | 28 | 15 | 23 |
| Indiana | 11 | 20 | 21 | 15 |
| Iowa | 40 | 33 | 45 | 20 |
| Kansas | 31 | 39 | 38 | 4 |
| Kentucky | 26 | 12 | 36 | 35 |
| Louisiana | 39 | 32 | 39 | 33 |
| Maine | 8 | 3 | 35 | 29 |
| Maryland | 24 | 15 | 25 | 39 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 6 | 11 | 42 |
| Michigan | 5 | 26 | 8 | 9 |
| Minnesota | 46 | 44 | 42 | 26 |
| Mississippi | 42 | 25 | 46 | 28 |
| Missouri | 7 | 17 | 7 | 27 |
| Montana | 38 | 41 | 19 | 37 |
| Nebraska | 47 | 35 | 50 | 10 |
| Nevada | 44 | 51 | 16 | 34 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 1 | 13 | 43 |
| New Jersey | 35 | 18 | 30 | 47 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
| New York | 22 | 16 | 9 | 46 |
| North Carolina | 36 | 23 | 31 | 45 |
| North Dakota | 43 | 22 | 51 | 5 |
| Ohio | 17 | 37 | 6 | 22 |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 36 | 34 | 2 |
| Oregon | 23 | 40 | 17 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 14 | 10 | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 18 | 2 | 28 | 48 |
| South Carolina | 15 | 11 | 20 | 41 |
| South Dakota | 34 | 30 | 48 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 30 | 27 | 14 | 40 |
| Texas | 19 | 43 | 22 | 3 |
| Utah | 45 | 46 | 41 | 19 |
| Vermont | 14 | 10 | 29 | 36 |
| Virginia | 13 | 5 | 32 | 38 |
| Washington | 33 | 47 | 12 | 21 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 8 | 27 | 7 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 21 | 26 | 8 |
| Wyoming | 41 | 31 | 47 | 13 |
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Most haunted states ranking:
<a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/"><img src="https://www.movebuddha.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/61692-MB-25-20-Infographics_1-scaled.png" alt="Infographic: moveBuddha's 2026 Haunted States ranking, with New Mexico as the most haunted state in America" /></a><br />Source: <a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/">moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis</a>The 10 most haunted states:
<a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/"><img src="https://www.movebuddha.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/61692-MB-25-20-Infographics-2-scaled.jpeg" alt="Infographic: the 10 most haunted states in America in 2026, from #1 New Mexico to #10 Florida, according to moveBuddha" /></a><br />Source: <a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/">moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis</a>The 10 creepiest states:
<a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/"><img src="https://www.movebuddha.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/61692-MB-25-20-Infographics-scaled.png" alt="Infographic: the 10 creepiest states in America in 2026, led by California, based on unsolved murders, abandoned places, and UFO sightings, according to moveBuddha" /></a><br />Source: <a href="https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/most-haunted-states/">moveBuddha’s 2026 Haunted States analysis</a>Not what you were looking for?
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