Monday, October 31, 2011

Freaky fun Halloween stats

24.7 pounds: Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010.
Candy consumption, much like home prices, peaked in the middle of the decade and dipped at the start of the recession in 2008. Consumption has been increasing slowly each year since then.
If this candy were entirely Snickers bars, it would work out to nearly candy 4 bars per week, per person.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2010
393,000 little ghouls and goblins: The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters (children age 5-14*) in San Diego County in 2010 based on the results of Census 2010. The national estimate is 41 million potential trick-or-treaters in the United States in 2010.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010

1.09 million doorbells to ring: In 2010 San Diego region trick-or-treaters have roughly 1.09 million households** to choose from when asking for candy. The San Diego region accounts for approximately 1 out of every 100 homes in the United States. The U.S. estimate is 116.7 million in 2010.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010

1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins: Pumpkin production in the United States in 2010 totaled more than one billion pounds. California accounted for more than 100 million pounds of pumpkins grown in 2010. San Diego County’s pumpkin growing, however, is relatively low. In 2010 the county grew 5,200 tons of squash (up from 4,400 in 2009), which includes (but is not limited to) pumpkins.
Sources: USDA National Agricultural Statistics and SD County, Annual Crop Report (2010) 

Notes:
*Of course, many other children - older than 14, and younger than 5 - also go trick-or-treating. **Measured as the number of occupied housing units.