If a $17 bag of candy made you wince, you’re not alone: Halloween 2026 is headed for a record $13.5 billion. My verdict? This record belongs to retail and to grown-ups, since adults will outspend kids on costumes by $500 million.

Below, you’ll see where every billion goes and how to build a sane Halloween budget.

Where the $13.5 Billion Goes in Halloween 2026

The numbers come from the NRF Halloween survey, run by Prosper Insights & Analytics. It polled 7,889 consumers from September 1 to 9, 2026. That’s a big sample, and it gives us the clearest picture of Halloween 2026 spending.

Look at candy. Nearly everyone buys it, yet it’s the smallest of the big three.

Here’s the catch: “record” doesn’t mean people are spending more each. The average celebrator plans to spend $115.14, up from $114.45 last year. That’s a raise of 69 cents.

The truth is, the record comes from more people joining in (74% plan to celebrate, up from 73%), not from bigger wallets. And with annual inflation at 3.7% in September, a budget that grew 0.6% actually buys less this year.

Key takeaway: The cost of Halloween keeps climbing, but the typical family’s Halloween budget is quietly shrinking in real terms.

So Who Is Halloween 2026 Really For?

We tell ourselves Halloween is a kids’ holiday. The costume money says otherwise.

• Adults: $2 billion on their own costumes
• Kids: $1.5 billion
• Pets: $920 million

Read that again. Grown-ups will spend a third more dressing themselves than dressing their children for Halloween 2026. Pets get nearly two thirds of what kids get. (The top pet costume? A pumpkin.)

I don’t think that’s a bad thing, by the way. Adults dressing up is how Halloween stays alive after the kids outgrow it. In 2024, people aged 25 to 34 celebrated more than any other age group and outspent the rest by at least 20%.

On the flip side, some kid traditions are slipping. Only 42% plan to carve a pumpkin this year, down from 56% in 2025, even as the average carving pumpkin creeps up to $5.35.

Bottom line: Halloween 2026 belongs to two groups. Young adults who throw the parties, and kids who knock on doors. The money mostly follows the first group.

Three Signs Retail Runs Halloween 2026

Now, you might be wondering where the stores fit in. Everywhere. Here’s what tells me Halloween 2026 is as much a sales calendar as a holiday.

1. The season starts before fall does: About 49% of shoppers plan to start buying in September or earlier. Back in 2016, that number was 34%. Picture this: you’re buying school supplies, and a 12 foot skeleton is already staring at you from the next aisle.

2. Candy prices outran everything: Finder estimates a 100 piece bag of Halloween candy now averages $16.96, up 71% since 2021, when it cost $9.91. Overall inflation rose about 22% in that same stretch. Not even close.

3. Machines now help pick our costumes: Nearly half of shoppers (47%) use AI tools for Halloween shopping, mostly for ideas and product picks. Handy? Sure. But a homemade costume never came with a recommendation engine.

The best part? Shoppers are pushing back. If prices run high, 34% say they’ll buy items they can reuse, 31% will comparison shop, and 26% will hunt for coupons. And 13% now shop at local or small businesses, almost double the 7% from 2016.

An Outsider’s Take on Halloween 2026

I should be honest about where I’m standing. In my country, Halloween isn’t a go to celebration, and it isn’t part of our tradition. Our big harvest festival is Nobanno.

Still, Halloween isn’t a stranger to me. Every year, some of my relatives go to Halloween programs at their kids’ schools. Last year I went to one myself, at my nephew’s school. Friends living abroad have filled in the rest, and the more I learn, the more I love this tradition.

Here’s what struck me. Both holidays started in the same place: the harvest.

• Nobanno welcomes the new rice on the first day of Agrahayan, around mid November, with pitha, payesh, fairs, and folk songs.
• Halloween traces back to Samhain, the Celtic festival marking summer’s end and the harvest. (Our piece on the history of Halloween covers the full story.)

The difference is what grew around them. Nobanno still centers on food made at home and shared with neighbors. Halloween 2026 centers on a shopping list.

That’s not a knock on Halloween. The thrill of a good scare is real, and so is the joy of a kid in a costume (if you’ve ever wondered why, read why we love being scared on Halloween). I just think the best parts don’t cost much.

How to Keep Your Halloween 2026 Budget Sane

That brings us to the biggest mistake people make: buying everything in one panicked trip the week before. Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, so you still have a few days to do this right.

1. Set one number first: The average is $115. Pick yours, then split it before you shop.
2. Buy candy last: Retailers expect steep candy discounts close to the day. Grab mixed bags, not single brand chocolate.
3. Reuse before you buy: Last year’s decorations and a thrift store costume beat a brand new inflatable.
4. Swap paid fun for free fun: Play the Halloween Google Doodle games, or plan a movie night with our best movies for Halloween night. About 42% of celebrators watch scary movies anyway.
5. Shop November 1: Decorations for next year cost far less once the clearance racks hit.

And here’s where I’d cut, category by category:

• Pet costumes. Cute photo, unhappy dog. Who should skip this: anyone whose pet hates wearing things (and plenty do).
• Giant yard decor. Big inflatables eat storage space and power. Who should skip this: apartment dwellers and anyone with a small garage.
• Adult costume upgrades. Who should skip this: anyone wearing it once. Thrift it or build it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Halloween 2026

How much will Americans spend on Halloween 2026?

About $13.5 billion, according to the NRF Halloween survey. That beats last year’s record of $13.1 billion.

What day is Halloween 2026?

Saturday, October 31, 2026.

How much does the average person spend on Halloween?

About $115.14 in 2026, barely above $114.45 in 2025.

What are the most popular Halloween costumes in 2026?

For kids, Spider-Man leads, followed by superheroes and princesses. For adults, witches and vampires top the list.

Why is Halloween candy so expensive?

Rising cocoa costs hit chocolate hardest. A 100 piece bag now averages about $17, up 71% since 2021.

Final Thoughts

So who is Halloween 2026 really for? On paper, retailers and grown ups. In the moments that matter, it’s still the kid at the door holding out a bag. You don’t need a bigger budget to give them that. Spend on candy and one good costume, skip the rest, and let the record belong to someone else.