Government-Issued Halloween "Fun Facts"

If you're ever wondering what the Census Bureau does with all of its public information around holidays, you don't need to wait any longer to find out. I'll tell you what they do: they compile all of their cute statistics and send them to national business magazines.

So, in the spirit of Halloween, here are your festive dollars in the government at work: FESTIVE STATS

36 million
The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2007--children 5 to 13--across the United States. This number is down about 38,000 from a year earlier. Of course, many other children--older than 13 and younger than 5--also go trick-or-treating.
Source: Population Estimates
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011910.html

110.3 million
Number of occupied housing units across the nation in 2007--all potential stops for trick-or-treaters.
Source: Housing Vacancies and Homeownership
www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/historic/histt15.html>

93%
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: Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States, 2003
www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/families_households/009884.html

1.1 billion pounds
Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin-producing states in 2007. Illinois led the country by producing 542 million pounds of the vined orange gourd. Pumpkin patches in California, New York and Ohio also provided lots of pumpkins: Each state produced at least 100 million pounds. The value of all pumpkins produced by major pumpkin-producing states was $117 million.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp

CREEPY PLACES

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

1) Transylvania County, N.C. (29,984 residents).
Source: Population estimates 2007
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011635.html

2) Tombstone, Ariz. (population 1,562).
Source: Population estimates 2007
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html

3) Pumpkin Center, N.C. (population 2,228); and Pumpkin Bend, Ark. (population 307).
Source: Census 2000
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet

4) Cape Fear in New Hanover County, N.C. (15,711); and Cape Fear in Chatham County, N.C. (1,170).
Source: Census 2000
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet

5) Skull Creek, Neb. (population 274).
Source: Population estimates 2007
www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html

MORE NUMBERS

1,170
Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2006, employing 39,457 people and shipping $13.9 billion worth of goods. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments, with 128, followed by Pennsylvania, with 116.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html and 2006 Annual Survey of Manufacturers, Value of Product Shipments www.census.gov/mcd/asm-as2.html

473
Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured non-chocolate confectionary products in 2006. These establishments employed 18,733 people and shipped $7.2 billion worth of goods that year. California led the nation in this category, with 72 establishments.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html and 2006 Annual Survey of Manufacturers, Value of Product Shipments
www.census.gov/mcd/asm-as2.html

24.5 pounds
Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2007.
Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2007
www.census.gov/cir/www/311/ma311d.html>

2,077
Number of costume rental and formal wear establishments across the nation in 2006.
Source: 2006 County Business Patterns
www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/county_business_patterns/012181.html

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: pio@census.gov