EDITORIAL: Munch on fun-sized Halloween stats

And the No. 1 place for Halloween, according to a national study by WalletHub.com, is…

…Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

Sorry, couldn’t resist. That’s an early little Halloween trick, we’re afraid. The Lake City failed to show up anywhere on the list, maybe because it’s not big enough to register on the national fright-o-meter. The only Idaho city to elicit even a minor scream is Boise, coming it at No. 47.

WalletHub looked only at the 100 largest cities and applied 22 metrics, a rather scientific approach to this most visceral of holidays. Safety was one of the main metrics, but the personal finance website also tried to gauge friendliness toward trick-or-treaters, Halloween weather, Halloween fun — the size and scope of Halloween activities in each community — among other categories.

New York City was the overall winner, and you can check out the overall rankings right here if you’re so inclined: https://bit.ly/3za6FPt

But what really caught our eye, as the nation’s third most popular holiday creeps closer, are some fun facts also brought to you by WalletHub.com. Among them:

• The average American household will spend $100.45 this year on Halloween stuff — treats, decorations, costumes and so on.

• 69% of households will celebrate Halloween and spend a collective $10.6 billion while they’re at it.

• 86% of parents admit to stealing candy from their children. In this household, we refer to it as permanent borrowing.

• 80% of haunted attractions are run by nonprofits.

• 72% of Americans say they would consider buying a haunted house — but fewer than half would pay market price for it.

No matter how much you spend or in witch ways — sorry, which ways — you celebrate Halloween, The Press wishes you and your visitors a safe and succulent holiday. Party safely, please.

Q: Why can’t skeletons play church music?

A: Because they have no organs.

COMING SUNDAY: Hayden public safety measure recommendation.