How much will Americans spend on Jack-o’-Lanterns this Halloween?

Well good gourd, it’s Fall y’all. Coronavirus might be the scariest thing this year and though it puts the kibosh on some things like Halloween parties and haunted houses, pumpkin carving is A-ok. In 2021, Finder estimates that 147 million Americans (roughly 44% of the population) plan to have a gourd ole’ time buying a pumpkin to make homemade jack-o-lanterns, which is slightly more than 152 million (46%) in 2020.

With Americans forecast to spend $10.14 billion on All Saints’ Day, according to the National Retail Federation, 2021 will see Americans spending roughly $2.09 billion (26%) more than the $8.05 billion they were forecast to spend in 2020.

The cost of a pumpkin is up, with prices higher than the last several years. In 2021, the cost of the average pumpkin is $4.83, up from $4.18 in 2020 — a 15.7% increase. Even with the slightly lower number of Americans planning to carve out some time in their schedules for Jack-o-lanterns this year, the increase in the cost of a pumpkin means that Americans are projected to be spending approximately $708 million on pumpkins in 2021. This is an increase of about $21 million (3.1%) from the $686 million just a year ago.

Here’s how the total adds up:

Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Retail Federation

How are Americans celebrating Halloween this year compared to last year?

Source: National Retail Federation, finder.com

How can you save on Halloween?

“While we’re seeing inflation in the cost of pumpkins this year, it doesn’t have to ruin your Halloween fun. Consider recycling old clothes or shopping at thrift stores to create budget-friendly costumes and party decorations. Enjoy what’s available for free in your community, such as driving to see the fall leaves change color, going to a fall festival, or picking apples. Also, remember not to overspend on candy for trick-or-treaters if you don’t expect to have as many knocking on your door this year,” says Laura Adams, Finance Analyst at finder.com.

Comparing the cost of a jack-o-lantern over time

Let’s take a closer look

The average price of a pumpkin has increased by 15.7% in 2021, to $4.83 from 2020’s $4.18. The proportion of Americans planning to carve pumpkins has decreased two percentage points, from 46% to 44%. This higher price average, even with a lower percentage of pumpkin carvers in 2020, means that total jack-o-lantern expenditure is expected to increase by 3.1%, $21 million more than last year.

Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, National Retail Federation

• Methodology

  • The average price of a pumpkin during the fall 2021 season was calculated using the historical average advertised retail price per pumpkin recorded each week from 2016–2020 and the weekly advertised retail price per pumpkin reported so far in 2021. From 2016-2020, pumpkins were sold for an average of 9 weeks according to the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. We calculated the percentage difference between the average price by each week of sales and the overall average price each year to forecast the price of a pumpkin for this year. Average prices were weighted by the number of stores.
  • U.S. population estimates were sourced from the United States Census Bureau Population Clock as of October 3, 2021. The percentage of Americans expected to carve pumpkins this Halloween was from the National Retail Federation’s Annual 2021 Halloween Spending Survey.
  • The total amount spent on carving pumpkins this Halloween was calculated using the current U.S. population, the percentage of Americans expected to carve pumpkins this Halloween, and the projected average price of a pumpkin during the fall 2021 pumpkin season.
  • Note on 2020 prices: Our initial projected estimate of $4.18 for the cost of a pumpkin in fall 2020 was off by $0.12. USDA data shows that the actual average weighted cost during 2020 was $4.06 when weighted by the average price and the number of stores from 8/28/2020 to 10/30/2020.

• 2020

  Well good gourd, it’s Fall y’all. Coronavirus might be the scariest thing this year and though it puts the kibosh on some things like Halloween parties and haunted houses, pumpkin carving is A ok. In 2020, Finder estimates that 152 million Americans (roughly 46% of the population) plan to have a gourd ole’ time buying a pumpkin to make homemade jack-o-lanterns, which is slightly more than 145 million (44%) in 2019.

  With Americans forecast to spend $8.1 billion on All Saints’ Day, according to the National Retail Federation, 2020 will be roughly $730 million shy of the $8.8 billion they were forecast spend in 2019.

  The cost of a pumpkin is up, with prices higher than the last several years. In 2020, the cost of the average pumpkin is $4.18, up from $4.04 in 2019 — a 3.63% increase. This increase in the cost of a pumpkin, coupled with the rising number of Americans planning to carve out some time in their schedules for Jack[-o-lantern], means that Americans are projected to be spending approximately $687 million on pumpkins in 2020. This is an increase of more than $100 million from the $586 million just a year ago.

  Here’s how the total adds up:

  Average price of a pumpkin	$4.18
  Percentage of Americans planning to carve pumpkins	46%
  Number of Americans that plan to carve pumpkins	151,947,727
  Total jack-o-lantern expenditure	$686,736,438

  Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Retail Federation

  Time to get spooky

  Overall, Halloween 2020 is expected to be a less expensive day with the National Retail Federation predicting total spending on Halloween to reach $8.05 billion, an 8% decrease from $8.78 billion last year.

  • How are Americans celebrating Halloween this year? - Visual
  • How are Americans celebrating Halloween this year? – Data

  Halloween activity	Percentage of Americans participating in 2020
  Hand out candy	62%
  Decorate home or yard	53%
  Dress in costume	46%
  Carve pumpkin	46%
  Throw or attend a party	22%
  Take their child trick-or-treating	23%
  Visit haunted house	15%
  Dress pet in costume	18%

  Source: National Retail Federation, finder.com

  How are Americans celebrating Halloween this year compared to last year?

  Halloween activity	Percentage of Americans participating in 2019	Percentage of Americans participating in 2020
  Hand out candy	69%	62%
  Decorate home or yard	49%	53%
  Dress in costume	47%	46%
  Carve pumpkin	44%	46%
  Throw or attend a party	32%	22%
  Take their child trick-or-treating	29%	23%
  Visit haunted house	22%	15%
  Dress pet in costume	17%	18%

  Source: National Retail Federation, finder.com

  How can you save on Halloween?

  “A DIY costume can definitely help with savings if you use material and clothing you already have. And let’s be honest, something as simple as bedsheets can make you the perfect ghost or superhero. You might even end up having the most creative costume due to your innovation. Also with the current state of the world courtesy of the pandemic you might be able to cut back on your candy budget as well. Less trick or treaters and less people partying means you might not require as many treats. Save that money for Black Friday the following month, ” says Allan Givens, PR Coordinator at finder.com.

  “Be sure to set a budget before venturing to the shops to ensure you’re conscious of over-spending. Do some research and see what stores are offering the best deals on candy. Some candy you have laying around from the year before might still be good. Dark chocolate can have a shelf life of two years in foil when kept in a cool dry place. If you are hosting a party don’t hesitate to reuse decorations from the year before or craft some up.

  How to choose the ideal pumpkin for carving

  Comparing the cost of a jack-o-lantern over time

  Let’s take a closer look

  The average price of a pumpkin has increased by 3.63% in 2020, to $4.18 from 2019’s $4.04. The proportion of Americans planning to carve pumpkins has increased two percentage points, from 44% to 46%. This higher price average coupled with a higher percentage of pumpkin carvers in 2020 resulted in an increase of 17.16% in total jack-o-lantern expenditure, $101 million more than last year.

  	2020		2019		2018
  	Figures	YoY difference (%)	Figures	YoY difference (%)	Figures	YoY difference (%)
  Average price of a pumpkin	$4.18	-3.63%	$4.04	-3.77%	$3.89	-5.58%
  Percentage of Americans planning to carve pumpkins	46%	N/A	44%	N/A	0.45	N/A
  Number of Americans that plan to carve pumpkins	151,947,727	4.73%	145,089,009	-1.89%	147,882,426	-1.42%
  Total jack-o-lantern expenditure	$686,736,438	-17.16%	$586,159,597	1.89%	$575,262,637	-6.92%

  Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, National Retail Federation

  Jack-o-lantern fun facts

  • 80% of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
  • Jack-o-lanterns are believed to have originated in Ireland in the 19th century.
  • The world’s largest jack-o-lantern was carved into the Guinness World Records on October 31, 2010, by Scott Cully in Bronx, New York, weighing 1,810.5 pounds (821.23kg).

  Methodology

  • The average price of a pumpkin during the fall 2020 season was calculated using the historical average advertised retail price per pumpkin recorded each week from 2015–2019 and the weekly advertised retail price per pumpkin reported so far in 2020. From 2015-2019, pumpkins were sold for an average of 8.8 weeks according to the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. We calculated the percentage difference between the average price by each week of sales and the overall average price each year to forecast the price of a pumpkin for this year. Average prices were weighted by the number of stores.
  • U.S. population estimates were sourced from the United States Census Bureau Population Clock as if September 20, 2020. The percentage of Americans expected to carve pumpkins this Halloween was from the National Retail Federation’s Annual 2020 Halloween Spending Survey.
  • The total amount spent on carving pumpkins this Halloween was calculated using the current U.S. population, the percentage of Americans expected to carve pumpkins this Halloween, and the projected average price of a pumpkin during the fall 2020 pumpkin season.
  • Note on 2019 prices: We were off by -$2.14 with our original 2019 estimate of $2.60 for the cost of a pumpkin. USDA data shows that the actual average weighted cost during 2019 was $4.04 when weighted by the average price and the number of stores from 9/07/19 to 11/01/2019.

• 2019

  Halloween is just around the corner but America’s love for this spooky holiday appears to be waning. In 2019, Finder estimates that 145 million Americans (roughly 44% of the population) will be buying a pumpkin to make homemade jack-o-lanterns, which is down slightly from 147 million (45%) in 2018.

  With Americans forecast to spend $8.8 billion on All Saints’ Day, according to the National Retail Federation, 2019 will be roughly $200 million shy of the $9 billion they spent in 2018.

  The cost of a pumpkin is also down, with prices falling for the third straight year. In 2019, the cost of the average pumpkin is $2.60, down from $3.89 in 2018 — a 33% decline. This precipitous fall in the cost of a pumpkin, coupled with a declining number of Americans planning to carve a jack-o-lantern, means that Americans will be spending approximately 377.23 million on pumpkins in 2019. This is a drop of more than $200 million from the $575.26 just a year ago.

  Here’s how the total adds up:

  Average price of a pumpkin	$2.60
  Percentage of Americans planning to carve pumpkins	44%
  Number of Americans that plan to carve pumpkins	145,089,009
  Total jack-o-lantern expenditure	$377,231,423

  Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Retail Federation

  Time to get spooky

  Thankfully, there should be enough supply to meet the demand for everything pumpkin-related this fall, with pumpkin production up on last year, when diseases, rain and cool temperatures damaged crops.

  Overall, Halloween 2019 is expected to be an expensive day with the National Retail Federation predicting total spending on Halloween to reach a record of $8.8 billion.

  How can you save money at Halloween?

  “A DIY costume can definitely help with savings if you use material and clothing you already have. And let’s be honest, something as simple as bedsheets can make you the perfect ghost or superhero. You might even end up having the most creative costume due to your innovation,” says Allan Givens, PR Coordinator at finder.com.

  “Be sure to set a budget before venturing to the shops to ensure you’re conscious of over-spending. Do some research and see what stores are offering the best deals on candy. Some candy you have laying around from the year before might still be good. Dark chocolate can have a shelf life of two years in foil when kept in a cool dry place. If you are hosting a party don’t hesitate to reuse decorations from the year before or craft some up.

  Comparing the cost of a jack-o-lantern over time

  Let’s take a closer look

  The average price of a pumpkin has dropped by 33.16% in 2019, to $2.60 from 2018’s $3.89. The proportion of Americans planning to carve pumpkins has only declined one percentage point, from 45% to 44%. This lower price average coupled with 44% of American’s 2019 population resulted in a decrease of 34.42% in total jack-o-lantern expenditure.

  	2019		2018		2017
  	Figures	YoY difference (%)	Figures	YoY difference (%)	Figures	YoY difference (%)
  Average price of a pumpkin	$2.60	-33.16%	$3.89	-5.58%	$4.12	N/A
  Percentage of Americans planning to carve pumpkins	44%	N/A	45%	N/A	46%	N/A
  Number of Americans that plan to carve pumpkins	145,089,009	-1.89%	147,882,426	-1.42%	150,007,007	N/A
  Total jack-o-lantern expenditure	377,231,423	-34.42%	$575,262,637	-6.92%	$618,028,870	N/A

  Source: finder.com, United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Retail Federation

  Jack-o-lantern fun facts

  • 80% of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
  • Jack-o-lanterns are believed to have originated in Ireland in the 19th century.
  • The world’s largest jack-o-lantern was carved into the Guinness World Records on October 31, 2010, by Scott Cully in Bronx, New York, weighing 1,810.5 pounds (821.23kg).

  Methodology

  • The average price of pumpkins ($2.60) was calculated using the average advertised retail price per pumpkin recorded each week in September by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service.
  • 44% of Americans are expected to carve pumpkins this Halloween, based on the National Retail Federation’s Annual Halloween Spending Survey, conducted in 2019 by Prosper Insights & Analytics.
  • A conservative estimate was used to calculate the number of pumpkins carved, as some people will carve more than others. So we used 44% of the total American population, of 329,747,748 as at September 2019, (source: United States Census Bureau Population Clock), which equates to 145,089,009.12, then multiplied by $2.60 to total $377,231,423.

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Susannah Binsted, Head of Public Relations United States

E: uspr@finder.com