The Captain of Dark Harbor applauds you, Long Beach. Photo by Brian Addison.

Hey Long Beach, put on your masks and start hoarding your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups because this Friday is going to be a party. Whether you’re outside traipsing from house to house in dire need of Candy Corn or you’re sitting inside with a beer on your belly watching Hocus Pocus with the kids, this year’s Halloween is sure to set a record.

In September, the National Retail Federation released its 2014 “Halloween Consumer Spending Survey,” and the results are telling. According to the NRF, “More than two-thirds (67.4%) of celebrants will buy Halloween costumes for the holiday, the most in the survey’s 11-year history.”

In the spirit of this Halloween-crazed year, WalletHub crunched a few numbers to find out 2014’s Best and Worst Cities for Halloween and Long Beach ranked as the 11th best place to celebrate this daunting holiday. The company analyzed 15 key metrics, starting from crime rates to the weather forecast for Halloween night.

Unfortunately, Long Beach ranked near the murky bottom for “Entertainment Environment & Safety” with a meager 3, but we basically took the cake for the “Parties & Activities” and “Weather Forecast for Halloween” rankings, placing us in the top 15 cities to glorify our dear deceased. Check out the top 15 cities ranked below:

Top 15 Cities to Celebrate Halloween

1. St. Paul, MN
2. Minneapolis, MN
3. Dallas, TX
4. Santa Ana, CA
5. Irving, TX
6. Garland, TX
7. Chandler, AZ
8. Denver, CO
9. Arlington, TX
10. Las Vegas, NV
11. Long Beach, CA
12. Plano, TX
13. Tampa, FL
14. Gilbert, AZ
15. Honolulu, HI

According to WalletHub, this Halloween, the average attendee will shell out $77.52, up from $75.03 from last year, on holiday-related expenses like candy, decorations, greeting cards and costumes. Total spending is expected to reach $7.4 billion, making Halloween the freakiest and fastest-growing consumer holiday in America. In other words, if you’re trying not to watch your earnings float away into the Halloween mist, think DIY costumes and going easy on store-bought candy.

Below are Long Beach’s rankings among the top 100 most populated cities in the U.S.

Halloween in Long Beach (1=Best; 50=Avg.)
46th – % of the Population Aged 14 or Younger
13th – % of Occupied Housing Units
13th – Walk Score
33rd – Crime Rate
38th – Average Price of Halloween Party Ticket
30th – Temperature Difference (on Halloween vs. Ideal)
40th – # of Bars per Capita