Where Are You Most Likely to See a Ghost? The Top 10 States

In honor of Halloween and everyone’s favorite spooky season, we found where in the US you’re most likely to spot a ghost. By comparing ghost sightings, cemeteries, haunted locations, and other eerie phenomena, we found the states where a paranormal encounter doesn’t just seem possible, it seems chillingly likely.

The full list is at the bottom of the article, but first, let’s take a look at the 10 states where you have the highest odds of seeing a ghost.

Interesting Findings

• Texas is the state you’re most likely to see a ghost.
• Texas has 7,641 reported ghost sightings; 1 in 4,168 Texans will see a ghost.
• West Virginians have the 2nd highest odds of seeing a ghost, followed by Mainers in 3rd.
• DC is the least haunted place in the US.
• West Virginia has the highest number of cemeteries per capita.
• There are 2,705 haunted locations in the US.

Top 10 States To See A Ghost

These odds are just for fun. Check out this BetMGM Bonus Code for real betting odds.

Let’s take a look at the states that stand out: from the ghosts of the Alamo to Appalachian states with eerie cemeteries.

1. Texas – 25%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 58.07
• Total sightings: 7,641
• Haunted locations reported: 118 (0.37 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 558

Texas claims the top spot in our spectral survey, with an impressive 25% implied probability of ghostly encounters.  The Lone Star State’s sheer number of ghost sightings and an impressive 558 ghost towns provide a lot of spooky potential. What else sets Texas apart? Judging from their Google searches, Texans are actively seeking out the paranormal. 

Top Haunted Locations

Texas has more than 550 ghost towns, the most of any U.S. state. Once-thriving mining and railroad settlements like Terlingua, Thurber, and Glenrio now stand quiet, their ruins scattered across the plains. Empty storefronts, brick smokestacks, and weathered signs tell the story of Texas’s boom-and-bust past — and why it still ranks among America’s most haunted landscapes.

2. West Virginia – 23%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 1,124.75
• Total sightings: 617
• Haunted locations reported: 20 (1.13 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 104

In 2nd place is West Virginia. West Virginia is a place where past and present blend, creating tantalizing supernatural potential. The Mountain State has 1,125 cemeteries for every 100k people. To put that in perspective, the national average is only 186. There are simply a lot of resting places in West Virginia.

Top Haunted Locations

West Virginia is home to dozens of ghost towns, born from the rise and fall of coal mining deep in the Appalachian hills. Abandoned settlements like Thurmond, once a bustling rail town, now echo with the silence of empty buildings and overgrown tracks. In Kaymoor, rusting mining equipment clings to the mountainside, while Sewell’s skeletal remains rest along the New River, swallowed slowly by forest. These long-forgotten places are more than ruins, they’re quiet witnesses to the state’s industrial past, with a chill in the air that lingers long after sunset.

3. Maine – 20.10%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 521.33
• Total sightings: 811
• Haunted locations reported: 26 (2.90 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 7

Maine secures the 3rd position with a 20.10% implied probability of ghost sightings. The state’s rugged landscapes and maritime history add layers to its spectral narratives. The coastal town of Bar Harbor, along with other historic locations, is rife with tales of haunted lighthouse keepers and sea captains still searching for their ships.

Top Haunted Locations

Maine may be known for its rocky coastlines and lighthouses, but it also boasts 26 haunted locations steeped in eerie history. Fort Knox in Prospect, a 19th-century military fort, draws ghost hunters with reports of shadowy figures and unexplained footsteps in its granite corridors. In the heart of Portland, the Victoria Mansion blends stunning architecture with tales of lingering spirits from its Civil War-era past. And in the abandoned logging town of Flagstaff, now submerged beneath Flagstaff Lake, the silence feels especially heavy, as if the past never fully let go.

4. Kentucky – 19.74%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 1,009.87
• Total sightings: 1,261
• Haunted locations reported: 51 (1.10 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 21

Kentucky’s impressive 19.74% chance of ghost sightings is bolstered by the state’s extensive collection of cemeteries and historic haunts. With 21 ghost towns and over 50 reported haunted sites, Kentucky ranks high on the list for paranormal potential, helped along by more than 1,000 cemeteries per 100,000 people. 

Top Haunted Locations

The infamous Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville looms large in local lore, its abandoned halls echoing with tales of restless spirits and unexplained chills. Elsewhere, places like the crumbling Bluegrass ghost town of Barthell, a once-thriving coal camp, and the eerie remains of Paradise, partially buried by a power plant project, offer quiet testimony to lives long vanished. With a nearly 20% chance of ghost sightings, Kentucky’s haunted history is as rich as its Appalachian soil — and just as deep.

5. Vermont – 19.67

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 298.48
• Total sightings: 245
• Haunted locations reported: 22 (3.39 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 9

Nestled in the quaint villages of Vermont, 298.48 cemeteries per 100k residents reflect a concentration of ghosts amid autumn leaves. From inns echoing with ghostly banjo tunes to charming wood signposts creaking in the wind, Vermont's haunted heritage is as vibrant as its picturesque landscapes.

Top Haunted Locations

Glastenbury, one of Vermont’s most famous ghost towns, sits deep in the Bennington Triangle, an area known for strange disappearances and eerie quiet. Historic inns like the Brass Lantern in Stowe add to the mystery, where guests have reported ghostly music drifting through the halls. In Vermont, even the foliage seems to whisper stories from the beyond.

6. Montana – 18.77%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 143.09
• Total sightings: 393
• Haunted locations reported: 36 (3.60 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 111

Montana comes in 6th, with its history of gold rushes and frontier settlements leaving behind ghostly echoes. The Treasure State offers a wealth of ghost stories in its plains and mountains, drawing paranormal enthusiasts with its palpable aura of bygone days and untamed wilderness haunts.

Top Haunted Locations

Once-booming mining towns like Bannack, now a preserved state park, invite visitors to walk silent streets lined with weathered wooden buildings and lingering whispers of the past. In Garnet, another well-preserved relic of the gold rush, creaking floorboards and cold drafts hint at lives abruptly abandoned. With its rugged beauty and frontier history, Montana offers more than scenery — it offers the haunted hush of a state where the Old West never fully faded.

7. South Dakota – 18.40%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 288.45
• Total sightings: 428
• Haunted locations reported: 12 (1.36 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 246

With an 18.40% chance of haunting experiences, South Dakota is in 7th place, offering ghost towns as relics of the gold rush that enshrined the state’s history. South Dakota is home to an astonishing 246 ghost towns and nearly 300 cemeteries per 100,000 people.

Top Haunted Locations

The infamous town of Deadwood, once a lawless mining camp, still draws visitors with its preserved streets — and tales of restless spirits from its violent past. Deeper in the Black Hills, abandoned settlements like Spokane sit frozen in time, their skeletal buildings slowly reclaimed by nature.  South Dakota’s haunted history feels woven into the very dust of the trail.

8. Illinois – 17.69%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 81.75
• Total sightings: 2,631
• Haunted locations reported: 110 (0.86 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 86

With a 17.69% chance of ghostly sightings, Illinois offers a wealth of eerie experiences, underscored by high cemetery numbers and 2,631 ghost sightings. Interestingly, Illinois residents are tied with Texas for googling things like “how to get rid of ghosts.” Where are Ghostbusters when you need them? Rich in history, the state's spectral allure is undeniable for paranormal enthusiasts.

Top Haunted Locations

From the crumbling remains of Cairo, once a bustling river town now mostly abandoned, to the famously haunted McPike Mansion in Alton, eerie echoes of the past aren’t hard to find. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery near Chicago is another hotspot, known for phantom figures and vanishing vehicles among its moss-covered gravestones. With a 17.69% chance of ghostly encounters and residents actively searching for how to get rid of spirits, Illinois seems to wear its haunted legacy on its sleeve.

9. Ohio – 17.60%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 101.72
• Total sightings: 2,985
• Haunted locations reported: 78 (0.65 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 67

Ohio boasts a 17.60% likelihood of sleepless nights filled with spectral visions. The state's blend of folklore and history is highlighted by 2,985 sightings. A captivating mix of the eerie and historical, Ohio remains a go-to for those seeking uncanny experiences.

Top Haunted Locations

10. California – 16.75%

• Cemeteries per 100,000 people: 7.35
• Total sightings: 7,284
• Haunted locations reported: 207 (0.52 per 100k)
• Ghost towns: 256

Coming in 10th with a 16.75% probability of encountering apparitions, California delights ghost hunters with its 7,284 sightings and wide array of haunted locations. California is also home to the most haunted casino in the US, Parkwest 580 Casino.

Top Haunted Locations

Did you state not make the top 10? Keep scrolling to see your odds of a spooky encounter and how we found these hair-chilling states.

Happy Ghost Spotting

These 10 states have the highest odds of ghost sightings in the whole US. From Texas, where the ghosts might say "Howdy, y'all!" to the spectres in sunny California, you are more likely to see a ghost in these states than any other.

Of course, these odds are just for fun. No sports betting site is taking wagers on whether you’ll see Casper in your kitchen. If ghosts start playing football, basketball, or basically any sport with a ball, perhaps Action Network can help you out!

Methodology

To identify where you are most likely to spot a ghost in the US, we created the Ghost Likelihood Index. The Index took into account five factors:

• Number of Cemeteries per 100,000 Residents (The more, the spookier)
• Total Reported Ghost Sightings (The more, the spookier)
• Number of Haunted Locations per 100,000 Residents (The more, the spookier)
• Number of Ghost or Abandoned Towns (The more, the spookier)
• Average monthly Google search volume for ghost-related queries such as “haunted house near me,” “how to get rid of ghosts,” and “ghosts” in each state. (The more, the spookier)

These factors take into consideration not only where ghosts have been seen, but what locations have the ingredients for a haunting and are actively seeking out ghosts or ghost related information. All factors were equally ranked to produce the states with the highest ghost likelihood. 

Sources

• FindAGrave
• GhostsOfAmerica
• Google Keyword Planner
• FrightFind
• Wiki’s List Of Ghost Towns In the United States

Where Are You Most Likely To Spot A Ghost? Full List