Census Bureau News -- Profile America Facts for Features Halloween Oct. 31, 2011

News provided by

U.S. Census Bureau

Oct 26, 2011, 02:23 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

Halloween

Oct. 31, 2011

The observance of Halloween, which dates back to Celtic rituals thousands of years ago, has long been associated with images of witches, ghosts and vampires. Over the years, Halloween customs and rituals have changed dramatically. Today, Halloween is celebrated many different ways, including wearing costumes, children trick or treating, carving pumpkins, and going to haunted houses and parties.

Trick or Treat!

41 million

The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2010 — children age 5 to 14 — across the United States. Of course, many other children — older than 14 and younger than 5 — also go trick-or-treating.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

116.7 million

Number of occupied housing units across the nation in 2010 — all potential stops for trick-or-treaters.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

92%

Percentage of households with residents who consider their neighborhood safe. In addition, 78 percent said there was no place within a mile of their homes where they would be afraid to walk alone at night.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States, 2005, Table 4, http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/extended-05.html

Jack-o'-Lanterns and Pumpkin Pies

1.1 billion pounds

Pumpkin production by major pumpkin-producing states in 2010.  Illinois produced an estimated 427 million pounds of the vined orange gourd.  California, New York and Ohio were also major pumpkin-producing states, each with an estimate of more than 100 million pounds.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011.pdf

Where to Spend Halloween?

Some places around the country that may put you in the Halloween mood are:

Candy and Costumes

1,177

Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2009, employing 34,252 people. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 135, followed by Pennsylvania, with 111.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2009, NAICS codes (31132 & 31133), http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/

409

Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2009. These establishments employed 16,974 people. California led the nation in this category, with 45 establishments.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2009, NAICS code (31134), http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/

24.7 pounds

Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2010, Table 1, http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma311d/index.html

1,719

Number of costume rental and formal wear establishments across the nation in 2009.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 County Business Patterns, NAICS code (53222), http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February)

Labor Day

Super Bowl

Grandparents Day

Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women's History Month (March)

Unmarried and Single Americans Week

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/

Halloween (Oct. 31)

  St. Patrick's Day (March 17)

American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)

  (November)  

Older Americans Month (May)  

Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5)

Thanksgiving Day

Mother's Day

The Holiday Season (December)            

Father's Day  

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: [email protected].

Follow @uscensusbureau on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Ustream.

Contact: Public Information Office
301-763-3030
[email protected]

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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