What is the most haunted state in the USA? To find out, our analysts reviewed data on haunted sites, ghost sightings, and missing persons, along with each state’s historical roots. The result is the Fright Factor Score, which ranks where paranormal activity and legend collide most often across the country.
Key Highlights:
- California (#1) tops the list as the nation’s most haunted state, with 3,802 reported ghost sightings and 3,619 open missing person cases
- Nevada (#5) leads in haunted casinos, counting five sites where guests and staff alike have reported eerie encounters behind the bright lights of Las Vegas.
- Texas (#3) claims the most ghost sightings in the top ten, with 4,938 reports spread across its historic towns and legendary landmarks.
- Delaware (#2) may be small in size, but with 10 haunted locations, it has the highest concentration of supernatural sites per capita, securing a strong second-place finish.
Inside America’s Most Haunted States
Across the United States, stories of hauntings, disappearances, and restless spirits have been told for centuries. Our analysis reveals where those legends align with data, ranking the states that stand out for ghost sightings, haunted landmarks, and a lasting sense of the uncanny. The results revealed the spookiest corners of America.
#10 Oregon: Fright Factor Score - 7.9 / 100 🧟🫣
Oregon’s mix of history and hauntings earns it a spot among America’s eeriest states. Whispers of the past echo through Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels, once used to traffic unsuspecting victims, and the historic Bagdad Theater, where ghostly guests are said to linger.
- Haunted Locations: 2
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 653
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 557
- Oldest City: Astoria (1811)
- Haunted Casinos: 0
#9 South Dakota: Fright Factor Score - 13.2 / 100 🧟🫣
South Dakota’s hauntings center on Deadwood, a frontier town where history and the supernatural intertwine. The Bullock Hotel and Franklin Hotel are famed for ghostly encounters, while the Bullock Hotel & Casino still draws stories of spectral gamblers.
- Haunted Locations: 4
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 302
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 37
- Oldest City: Fort Pierre (1832)
- Haunted Casinos: 4
#8 Arizona: Fright Factor Score - 15.6 / 100 🧟🫣
Beneath Arizona’s desert skies, ghost stories linger as vividly as the landscapes themselves. In Tombstone, the Bird Cage Theatre is said to echo with the ghosts of the Wild West, while Flagstaff’s Hotel Monte Vista and Tucson’s Hotel Congress are known for restless guests who never checked out.
- Haunted Locations: 3
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 466
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 1,099
- Oldest City: Tucson (1775)
- Haunted Casinos: 0
#7 New Jersey: Fright Factor Score - 19.9 / 100 🧟🫣
New Jersey’s haunted history runs deep in the Pine Barrens, home to the legendary Jersey Devil, a winged creature said to have haunted the woods since the 1700s. Along the coast, Cape May is known for its ghostly Victorian charm, where stories from Higbee Beach and old seaside inns add to the state’s eerie reputation.
- Haunted Locations: 2
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 558
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 419
- Oldest City: Gloucester City (1627)
- Haunted Casinos: 0
#6 Pennsylvania Fright Factor Score - 21 / 100 🧟🫣
Pennsylvania’s past is impossible to separate from its ghosts, with centuries of conflict and confinement leaving a lasting mark on the state. The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is infamous for footsteps and whispers echoing through its crumbling cellblocks, while Gettysburg Battlefield remains one of America’s most haunted places, where the fallen are said to still march.
- Haunted Locations: 2
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 1,246
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 520
- Oldest City: Philadelphia (1681)
- Haunted Casinos: 0
#5 Nevada: Fright Factor Score - 22.3 / 100 🧟🫣
With Las Vegas built on bright lights and darker legends, it’s no surprise Nevada ranks among the nation’s most haunted states. The Flamingo Hotel, once tied to mobster Bugsy Siegel, is said to host his restless spirit, while several other casinos carry their own ghostly lore from fires, scandals, and untimely ends.
- Haunted Locations: 6
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 239
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 230
- Oldest City: Genoa (1851)
- Haunted Casinos: 5
#4 New York: Fright Factor Score - 37.1 / 100 🧟🫣
New York’s long history leaves plenty of room for the supernatural. In Saratoga Springs, the elegant Canfield Casino is known for unexplained footsteps and flickering lights, while Manhattan’s Merchant’s House Museum preserves nearly two centuries of ghostly tales within its walls.
- Haunted Locations: 4
- Ghost Sighting Reports: 1,198
- Open Missing Persons Cases (2025): 1,049
- Oldest City: Albany (1614)
- Haunted Casinos: 3
#3 Texas: Fright Factor Score: 49.9 / 100 🧟🫣
Texas’s haunted history runs as deep as its roots. At The Alamo, guards and visitors still report ghostly soldiers keeping vigil over the site of one of America’s most storied battles. Nearby, the Menger Hotel carries tales of lingering spirits, including that of Teddy Roosevelt, who recruited his Rough Riders there. In Austin, the grand Driskill Hotel has long been linked to sightings of a young girl said to roam its halls. With 4,938 ghost sighting reports, 2,749 open missing person cases, and centuries of history reaching back to Nacogdoches (1779), Texas earns its place among America’s most haunted states.
#2 Delaware: Fright Factor Score - 57.2 / 100 🧟🫣
Though small in size, Delaware’s haunted history looms large. Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island is said to echo with the sounds of imprisoned Civil War soldiers, while Woodburn, the Governor’s Mansion in Dover, is known for spirits that appear without warning. At Old Maggie’s Bridge in Seaford, locals speak of a ghostly woman searching endlessly for her child, and guests at The Addy Sea in Bethany Beach report footsteps pacing empty halls. With 10 haunted locations, 86 ghost sighting reports, and 65 open missing person cases (a relatively low total but one of the highest per capita) and its oldest city, Lewes (1631), Delaware secures second place on the Fright Factor Index 2025.
#1 California: Fright Factor Score - 65.7 / 100 🧟🫣
California tops the Fright Factor Index with a haunting legacy that stretches from its Gold Rush towns to its modern cities. In San Jose, the Winchester Mystery House remains one of America’s most famous haunted mansions. Down in San Diego, the Whaley House is steeped in tragedy, with reports of laughter, footsteps, and cold spots that never fade. Even the state’s casinos, including Parkwest 580, Desert Rose, and Coyote Valley, have earned reputations for unexplained occurrences. With 7 haunted locations, 3,802 ghost sighting reports, 3,619 open missing person cases, and roots reaching back to San Diego (1769), California stands as the most haunted state in the USA.
Methodology
The Fright Factor Score ranks each U.S. state using a mix of historical and paranormal data. Analysts compared five key factors: the number of haunted locations, total ghost sighting reports, open missing person cases in 2025, the age of each state’s oldest city, and the number of haunted casinos.
Each data point was standardized on a z-score scale and combined to produce a final Fright Factor Score out of 100. States with longer histories, more sightings, and higher counts of documented hauntings scored the highest on the index.
Fright Factor Scores
| Rank | State | Haunt Score | # Of Haunted Locations | # Of Casinos | Ghost Reports | Missing Persons Report | Oldest City | Oldest City Age | Haunted Z-Score | Ghosts Z- Score | Oldest City Z-Score | Missing Persons Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA | 65.7 | 7 | 3 | 3802 | 3619 | San Diego | 256 | 6.25 | 7.658697444 | 3.459915612 | 10 |
| 2 | DE | 57.2 | 10 | 0 | 86 | 65 | Lewes | 394 | 10 | 0 | 9.282700422 | 0.07816862088 |
| 3 | TX | 49.9 | 3 | 0 | 4938 | 2749 | Nacogdoches | 246 | 1.25 | 10 | 3.037974684 | 7.57118928 |
| 4 | NY | 37.1 | 4 | 3 | 1198 | 1049 | Albany | 411 | 2.5 | 2.291838417 | 10 | 2.825237298 |
| 5 | NV | 22.3 | 6 | 5 | 239 | 230 | Genoa | 174 | 5 | 0.3153338829 | 0 | 0.5388051368 |
| 6 | PA | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1246 | 520 | Philadelphia | 344 | 0 | 2.390766694 | 7.172995781 | 1.34840871 |
| 7 | NJ | 19.9 | 2 | 0 | 558 | 419 | Gloucester City | 398 | 0 | 0.9727947238 | 9.451476793 | 1.066443328 |
| 8 | AZ | 15.6 | 3 | 0 | 466 | 1099 | Tucson | 250 | 1.25 | 0.7831821929 | 3.206751055 | 2.964824121 |
| 9 | SD | 13.2 | 4 | 4 | 302 | 37 | Fort Pierre | 193 | 2.5 | 0.4451772465 | 0.8016877637 | 0 |
| 10 | OR | 7.9 | 2 | 0 | 653 | 557 | Astoria | 214 | 0 | 1.168590272 | 1.687763713 | 1.451702959 |
What the Data Reveals About America’s Haunted Past
The Fright Factor Index 2025 shows that hauntings aren’t limited to folklore and scary stories.
California leads the nation with the most sightings and missing person cases, while Delaware proves that even small states can have big supernatural footprints. Across the top ten, landmarks, legends, and data converge to reveal where America’s fascination with the paranormal feels most alive.
