American dream? Let's talk about American nightmares.

This expansive and storied country is brimming with ghost stories, apparitions, haunted houses, and other hot spots of paranormal activity that date back centuries and persist to the modern day. In which states are horror aficionados most likely to get their fix of the heebie-jeebies?

moveBuddha wanted to find out which state is most spooky. This report uncovers the most haunted hot-spots across the nation with the highest potential for spooky and spine-chilling encounters, many of which are perfect for ghost tours and ghost hunts. Here's how each state was scored:

Spook Score:

  • Number of haunted locations by population.
  • Founding date of oldest town or city.
  • Number of cemeteries by population.
  • Age of oldest cemetery.

Creep Score:

  • Number of unsolved murders by population.
  • Number of abandoned buildings.

Boo Score:

  • Number of ghost towns by population.
  • Number of reported ghost sightings by population.

Key Findings

  • New Mexico is the most haunted state in the nation. Home to places such as the Acoma Pueblo, which is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited region in the entire Western Hemisphere, this southwestern state is the ideal location to commune with spirits of the distant past.
  • New York has the highest Creep score of any other state, with a very high rate of unsolved murders and more notable abandoned places than anywhere else in the nation.
  • Lovers of spooky cemeteries should head to West Virginia. This smaller state, with less than 2 million residents, is home to over 18,534 graveyards, the oldest of which dates back to 1734.
  • Terror tourists will be thrilled to find over 290 ghost towns and almost 1,900 documented ghost sightings in the state of Oklahoma.

U.S. States Ranked From Least to Most Haunted

moveBuddha ranks the spookiest states in America.

Gallery Credit: Joe Robison