U.S. Holiday Decorating Trends & Insights

Seasonal decorating has become a defining part of how Americans create joy, signal transitions, and express identity at home. Nearly nine in ten households decorate for at least one season or holiday, and many do it for multiple occasions throughout the year. For millions, decorating is no longer just a tradition — it’s a creative outlet, a family ritual, and sometimes even a lifestyle.

Key findings from our national study include:

• Nearly 90% of U.S. households participate in seasonal decorating: Decorating has shifted from an occasional holiday task into an ongoing lifestyle habit across American homes.

• Emotional well-being and family joy drive decorating behavior: Americans cite fun, mood improvement, home energy transformation, and child engagement as primary motivations, while competition with neighbors ranks at the bottom.

• Halloween rivals Christmas as a major creative and spending moment: Halloween has become a multi-week season focused on personal identity, creativity, and aesthetic self-expression.

• Two dominant Halloween aesthetic lanes drive consumer choices: Consumers split primarily into "Cute & Family-Friendly" (pumpkins, friendly ghosts) and "Scary & Haunted" (animatronics, graveyards, eerie lighting) categories.

• Decorating functions as a form of psychological self-care: Consumers use seasonal décor to mark the passage of time, reduce stress, build anticipation, and enhance household vitality.

• Gen X leads in total Halloween expenditure: While Millennials and Gen Z display the highest participation and enthusiasm, Gen X spending peaks across décor, costumes, and candy.

• Suburban and urban households report higher decorating budgets than rural areas: Most Americans spend under $200 annually on Halloween décor, with spending capacity varying noticeably by geographic density.