America’s Most Popular Halloween Costumes in 2026: Witches, Vampires and Masked Heroes

• Witches lead adult costume plans for 2026, with an estimated 4.8 million Americans choosing the character.
• Vampires follow closely at 4.2 million, narrowing the gap compared with 2025.
• Spider-Man leads children’s choices, with 4.6 million planned costumes.
• The findings come from a National Retail Federation survey of 7,889 consumers.

A pointed hat, a glimpse of fangs or a face concealed behind a mask: Halloween’s most recognizable transformations remain powerful in 2026. This year’s American costume plans bring supernatural figures and superheroes together, with witches holding the adult lead and vampires moving considerably closer. For children, Spider-Man takes first place.

The results come from the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Halloween survey. Conducted September 1–9 among 7,889 consumers, it measured Halloween shopping and celebration plans, with a reported margin of error of ±1.1 percentage points. The costume figures are national estimates of intended outfits. nrf.com

The Most Popular Adult Halloween Costumes in 2026

Witches and vampires occupy the first two positions, followed by Batman, Spider-Man and ghosts. The list brings together different kinds of transformation: hidden supernatural power, a dangerous second identity and the anonymity of a masked hero.

Source: NRF’s 2026 Halloween consumer survey. nrf.com

Witches Lead Both Adult and Traditional Children’s Costumes

Witches rank first among adults and fourth among children, making them the highest-placed traditional Halloween figure in both groups. Vampires follow a different pattern: they take second place among adults but seventh among children. Ghosts are more consistent, holding fifth place in both rankings. The same three supernatural characters appear in each list, but their positions show that adult and children’s costume plans are not interchangeable.

Superheroes Have a Stronger Position Among Children

Batman is the highest-ranked superhero among adults, while Spider-Man leads the children’s list overall. Children’s second-place choice is also the broader superhero category, giving heroic characters the first two positions. Among adults, Batman and Spider-Man sit behind witches and vampires. Superman provides another difference: he completes the adult top 10 but does not appear in the published children’s top 10.

Ghostface and KPop Demon Hunters Separate the Two Lists

Some of the clearest differences appear further down the rankings. Ghostface takes eighth place among adults, while KPop Demon Hunters occupies eighth among children. Zombies also reach the adult list without appearing in the children’s top 10. Conversely, princesses rank third among children but are absent from the adult top 10. These results distinguish the two groups more clearly than the shared presence of witches, ghosts and superheroes alone.

What Changed Since Halloween 2025?

Witches and vampires retain the top two adult positions, but the gap between them has narrowed considerably. Witches fell from an estimated 5.6 million planned costumes in 2025 to 4.8 million in 2026, while vampires rose from 2.7 million to 4.2 million. Based on those rounded figures, the difference shrank from 2.9 million to approximately 600,000. These estimates come from NRF’s 2025 survey and its 2026 release.

The adult rankings changed more noticeably below the leading pair. Pirates dropped from third place to joint seventh with cats, which had shared fourth place with Batman in 2025. Batman moved into third, while Spider-Man entered the published top 10 in fourth position. Superman moved in the opposite direction, falling from fifth to tenth, while ghosts edged up from sixth to fifth.

Clowns and Ghostface also entered the adult top 10, taking sixth and eighth place respectively. Zombies remained on the list but slipped from eighth to ninth. Addams Family, princess and Star Wars costumes, all included in the 2025 adult rankings, were absent from the published 2026 top 10.

Among children, Spider-Man kept first place as its estimated number of planned costumes doubled from 2.3 million to 4.6 million. The general superhero category climbed from fifth to second, pushing princesses from second to third. Witches and ghosts each moved down one position, to fourth and fifth, while Batman held sixth.

Further down the children’s list, vampires rose from tenth to seventh, and KPop Demon Hunters advanced from ninth to eighth. Superman and Wednesday Addams dropped out of the published top 10. Pumpkins and cats shared ninth place in 2026, followed by clowns in tenth. Spider-Man and the general superhero category are listed separately in the survey.

These choices offer several different adventures. A child can become a protector with extraordinary abilities, a royal character or a mysterious visitor from the supernatural world. Halloween creates room for admiration, imagination and fear within the same celebration.

The pet rankings were more stable at the top, with pumpkins and hot dogs retaining first and second place. Ghosts moved from joint fourth to third, while bumblebees, previously third, shared fourth place with bats and spiders. Cats climbed from tenth to fifth. The final position expanded into a four-way tie between Chucky, devil, dragon and Scooby-Doo costumes—none of which appeared in the published 2025 pet top 10.

Celebrity-Inspired Costumes in 2025

Celebrity style also featured in Halloween expectations for 2025. In a HalloweenCostumes.com survey of more than 1,000 American adults, Taylor Swift led the most-anticipated celebrity costumes with 26%, followed by Sabrina Carpenter at 23%. Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar each received 18%, highlighting the appeal of recognizable music personalities alongside traditional Halloween characters.

A Familiar Face Can Still Hide a Mystery

The strongest disguises give their wearers something to do as well as something to wear. A vampire can adopt a measured stare, a witch can suggest a secret, and a masked hero can strike a recognizable pose. America’s 2026 costume plans show how much possibility remains within these familiar characters: the outfit establishes the role, but the person inside decides how to bring it to life.

FAQ

What is the most popular adult Halloween costume in America in 2026?

The witch ranks first, with an estimated 4.8 million adults planning to wear the costume, according to NRF. Vampires follow at 4.2 million. nrf.com

What is the most popular Halloween costume for children in 2026?

Spider-Man leads, with an estimated 4.6 million planned costumes. The general superhero category and princesses complete the top three. nrf.com

Does the survey measure costume sales?

It measures consumers’ plans before Halloween, rather than completed sales or a count of outfits worn on October 31. The figures describe intended costume choices. nrf.com

Are these rankings for face masks or complete costumes?

They cover costume identities, including witches, vampires and superheroes. Some involve face masks, while others use clothing, makeup or accessories.

Sources

• National Retail Federation — NRF Halloween Survey Shows Consumer Spending Expected to Reach $13.5 Billion, September 22, 2026.
• National Retail Federation — NRF Consumer Survey Finds Halloween Spending to Reach Record $13.1 Billion, September 18, 2025.