INDIANAPOLIS — With Halloween just days away, new search data reveals that Hoosiers are embracing comic book antiheroes and classic horror icons as their top costume choices for 2026.
According to a study conducted by footwear brand Bruno Marc, DC Comics’ Harley Quinn is Indiana’s most searched Halloween costume this year, averaging 982 Google searches per month statewide—a 10% lead over second-place finisher Spider-Man (894 searches).
The analysis examined 12-month Google search data across all 50 states for 1,843 costume variations, ranking choices both locally and nationally based on U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Indiana’s Top 10 Halloween Costumes for 2026
- Harley Quinn — 982 average monthly searches (Ranked 2nd US-wide)
- Spider-Man — 894 average monthly searches (Ranked 6th US-wide)
- Pirate — 878 average monthly searches (Ranked 4th US-wide)
- Minion — 858 average monthly searches (Ranked 5th US-wide)
- Poison Ivy — 833 average monthly searches (Ranked 1st US-wide)
- Witch — 798 average monthly searches (Ranked 7th US-wide)
- Batman — 751 average monthly searches (Ranked 10th US-wide)
- Catwoman — 743 average monthly searches (Ranked 3rd US-wide)
- Ghostface — 697 average monthly searches (Ranked 14th US-wide)
- Wednesday Addams — 693 average monthly searches (Ranked 8th US-wide)
Hoosiers Show Strong Preference for Horror Villains
Indiana voters in the search bar demonstrated a distinct preference for horror villains compared to the rest of the nation. Four classic slasher and horror characters cracked Indiana’s top 20 list:
- Ghostface (Scream) placed 9th in Indiana versus 14th nationally.
- Michael Myers (Halloween) jumped to 11th in Indiana (663 searches) compared to 17th nationwide.
- Pennywise (It) claimed 12th statewide (662 searches) versus 18th across the U.S.
- Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) rounded out the trend at 19th in Indiana (560 searches), three spots higher than its 22nd national ranking.
“Four horror movie villains appear on Indiana’s list, compared with three in the national list,” said Anson Shen, Chief Marketing Officer of Bruno Marc. “Ghostface, Michael Myers, Pennywise, and Freddy Krueger all rank higher in Indiana than they do across the US.”
Overall, Indiana ranked 41st nationwide for total Halloween costume search volume relative to population, generating 1,424 costume searches per month for every 100,000 residents—roughly 14.3% below the 50-state national average. California captured the top spot for overall search activity per capita, while Mississippi logged the lowest.
