Do you believe in ghosts? Maybe you’ve heard a creaky floorboard when no one was home… or felt a chill that couldn’t be explained? Every year, thousands of ghost sightings are reported across the U.S. and Canada but some states and provinces are far spookier than others. In fact, your odds of meeting a restless spirit may come down to your zip code.
With Halloween creeping closer, the paranormal season is officially upon us. To save you from endless Ouija-board research, we dug deep: analyzing Ghosts of America, and PSICAN for Canada. As well as social media posts from Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, and online forums to track ghostly encounters. Then, we crunched the numbers by ghost sightings per capita to reveal a state-by-state and province and territory ranking of America’s and Canada’s most haunted corners.
So, if you’re brave enough… read on. You might just discover that your next house guest isn’t alive.
US Key Findings:
- Overall, there are about 2,329 ghost sightings per 10,000 people, meaning a 23.29% chance of running into a spirit, that’s roughly +329 odds
- New York is the #1 most haunted state, with 81 sightings per 10,000 people
- The top 5 states for ghost sightings also include Texas, Louisiana, California, and Utah
- Georgia is the least haunted, with only 6 sightings per 10,000 people
CA Key Findings:
- Overall, there are about 295 per 10,000 people, a 2.95% chance of encountering a spirit, that’s roughly +3,289 odds
- The Yukon is the #1 most haunted region, with 39 sightings per 10,000 people
- The provinces and territories with the highest ghost activity also include British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, and Nunavut
- New Brunswick is the least haunted, with just 11 sightings per 10,000 people
America’s Haunted Hotspots Revealed
Starting with America, the ghosts clearly know where to linger and if you live in New York, consider yourself on their favorite haunt list. With 81 sightings per 10,000 people, the Empire State isn’t just home to Broadway and Wall Street, it’s alive with spirits who never quite checked out.
Not far behind in 2nd place is Texas with 77 sightings per 10,000, showing the Lone Star State has no shortage of supernatural company. Louisiana takes 3rd with 74 sightings per 10,000. Rounding out the top 5 are California (72), where even the ghosts crave the spotlight, and Utah (65), where the mountains provide a quiet sanctuary for lingering souls.
But don’t get too comfortable in Florida (64), Pennsylvania (62), Alabama (61), Nevada (60), or Washington (57), as these are the top 10 states where the dead aren’t staying in their graves. And while some states are crawling with ghostly activity, others seem to have slammed the door shut on the supernatural. Case in point: Georgia, where you’re least likely to bump into a ghost, with only 6 sightings per 10,000 people.
Canada’s Haunted Hotspots Revealed
The witching hour never ends in Canada, where certain provinces and territories are racking up more boos than a haunted house. 1st place goes to the Yukon, with a spine-tingling 39 sightings per 10,000 people. 2nd is British Columbia (34), where the spirits clearly know how to make an entrance, and leave a few ghostly echoes behind.
Following in 3rd and 4th are Ontario (33) and Alberta (32), with ghostly stirrings keeping the shadows lively and the hairs on your neck standing. 5th and 6th place go to Nunavut (29) and Nova Scotia (22), where a quiet evening can quickly turn into a brush with the supernatural.
Further down the ghost-sighting scoreboard, 7th through 9th, Saskatchewan (19), Manitoba (18), and the Northwest Territories (16), keep things mostly quiet, though the odd creak or whisper hints that some spirits prefer a low profile. At the very bottom, Newfoundland and Labrador (15), Quebec (14), Prince Edward Island (13), and New Brunswick (11) report the fewest encounters, making them the places you’re least likely to spot a ghost.
Odds of Seeing a Ghost in America:
In America, there are about 2,329 ghost sightings per 10,000 people, that’s a 23.29% chance of running into a spirit. That’s roughly +329 odds… which is way more haunted than you’d expect. So next time you see a shadow out of the corner of your eye, maybe don’t write it off, you could be part of the statistics.
Odds of Seeing a Ghost in Canada:
In Canada, ghost sightings are much rarer, with about 295 per 10,000 people, a 2.95% chance of encountering a spirit. That works out to roughly +3,289 odds, making ghostly less likely but still eerie enough to keep you checking over your shoulder.
Conclusion:
From New York’s haunted streets to Yukon’s icy wilderness, North America is alive with spirits this Halloween. Whether you’re in a bustling city or a quiet town, the ghosts are out, peeking from shadowed corners, slipping through alleyways, and reminding everyone that the living aren’t the only ones enjoying the holiday.
Methodology:
To estimate the chances of seeing a ghost, we compiled data from multiple sources, including Ghosts of America for the U.S. and PSICAN for Canada from the last 100 years, along with reports from social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, and online forums. We then calculated ghosts per capita to create acc
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