Trick Or Treat? Halloween Candy Prices Up 78% Since 2020 [Study]

October 31 is just around the corner, and Halloween-loving cities across the country are stocking up on the spooky supplies they need to celebrate. Candy is perhaps the most important of these supplies, but in an era where inflation is front and center, rising candy costs have become a concern for many.

But how much have candy prices risen compared to other goods? Have tariffs on cocoa and other products actually made your Snickers bar more expensive? To find out, our research team analyzed five years of historical bulk Halloween candy prices at multiple major grocery retailers (via manually reviewing archived weekly supermarket circulars) to track just how much more expensive holiday treats have gotten.

Key findings

• We pulled supermarket circular ads from 2020 through 2025 to track Halloween candy prices over time.
• Halloween candy prices have risen by 78% since 2020, more than triple the national rate of inflation (25%).
• A 100-piece bag of assorted Halloween candy averages $16.39 this year – up $7.20 over the past 5 years.
• The cost for a bag of Halloween candy increased by less than $1 year-over-year from 2020 to 2022, but has gone up by more than $2 per year over the last two Halloweens.

Halloween candy prices up 78% since 2020, outpacing inflation

To find out how much Halloween candy prices have increased in the last few years, we collected archived supermarket weekly circularsfor some of the biggest grocery chains in America. On average, we found the cost for a 100-piece bag of candy is $16.39 in 2025, up more than $2 from last year, and 78% since 2020.

Those cost concerns appear to be well-founded, as our analysis shows that the average price for a 100-piece bag of candy is $16.39 this year, up $7.20 compared to 2020, when 100 pieces of candy could be purchased for $9.19. That's a 78% percent increase, which is more than triple the national rate of inflation — 25% — over that same time period.

The majority of that cost increase has come in the last two years, as the cost for a 100-piece bag of candy went up by $2.45 from 2023 to 2024 and another $2.34 from last year to now, for a total increase of $4.78 in just two years. Comparatively, candy bag prices increased by less than a dollar year-over-year from 2020 to 2021 (+$0.72) and again from 2021 to 2022 (+$0.58), going up just $1.30 total in that time period.

That means that the increase in Halloween candy prices from 2023 to 2025 was more than 3.5 times greater than the increase from 2020 to 2022.

How rising candy prices will affect Halloween shoppers this year

Retail experts predict Americans will spend a record amount of money celebrating Halloween this year—more than $13 billion on costumes, decorations, and, of course, candy. That's a lot of money spent on spooky season, and rising costs for common Halloween purchases are part of the reason the total is so high, and are also an understandable cause for concern among consumers. 

According to S&P Global, Americans spent a record $4.1 billion on Halloween candy last year, which comes out to about $31 per household. With more than half of Americans reporting that rising prices will change how much they spend on Halloween candy in 2025, that record may stand for another year.

While candy is the highlight of Halloween for most trick-or-treaters (and a key expense for folks across America), higher prices are a primary concern for Halloween shoppers in 2025, as inflation and tariff-induced cost increases have hit the sweets aisle and caused some consumers to reconsider their candy budgets. As our analysis shows, worries about rising candy costs are well-founded.

How we determined the rise in candy prices

FinanceBuzz collected both historic and current prices for bulk bags of mixed Halloween candy from four major grocery retailers: Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Albertsons. Only full price (non-sale) items were used in this analysis. We collected data on at least 25 different bags of candy in each year, ranging from 28 to 500 pieces of candy per bag, with an average bag size of 137 pieces of candy across the whole study. Pricing data was collected for at least 3,500 pieces of candy per year.

Historic prices were collected by manually reviewing archived weekly ads published by each retailer during past Halloween seasons, while current prices were pulled directly from each store's website in October 2025. In addition to prices, we also collected data on the number of candy pieces in each bag, allowing us to calculate the average cost per piece of candy across all four stores for every year from 2020 to 2025.

How to stretch your candy budget this Halloween

Halloween candy prices can add up, especially with rising grocery costs and the temptation to buy enough for every trick-or-treater in the neighborhood. A little planning can help you enjoy the season's treats without spending more than you need to.

• Estimate your candy costs. Setting a budget starts with deciding in advance how much you're comfortable spending on candy. Take into account the typical number of trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood and any extra candy you plan to buy for home or the office.
• Get rewards on your Halloween sweets. Cash back credit cards can help you earn rewards for your everyday spending, including your Halloween haul.
• Make every supermarket run count. Enjoy benefits on pantry essentials, snacks, and more with one of these top credit cards for groceries.

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