Nextdoor’s annual Halloween Treat Map has returned to Canada, with new survey findings showing that 88 per cent of Canadians expect to spend less than $100 on Halloween this year as households manage the cost of living.
The neighbourhood network’s map, available in Canada, is designed to help residents find local Halloween events, attractions and participating homes, while giving community businesses and event organizers a way to reach nearby residents.
Map adds new features for Halloween
The Treat Map is available until Oct. 31 and allows residents to add pins for their homes or local destinations, including Halloween events and nearby attractions. For the first time, users can select the type of pin they want to add and apply tags describing what visitors can expect, such as decorations, Halloween events or local businesses.
Nextdoor has also introduced suggested wording templates for home pins, replacing the previous process of starting with a blank post. The map can now be filtered by tags, allowing users to find homes offering non-food treats or pet treats, as well as those opening their doors earlier in the evening.
Adding a pin is optional, and residents decide what information they share. Nextdoor said the map does not collect location data beyond what users choose to include in their pins. Information provided through the pins is not verified by the company.
“Halloween costs more than it used to, and a lot of Canadian families are planning around that. Some of the best parts of the night are free, like the street that goes all out or the farm with the corn maze. The Treat Map makes them easier to find,” said Kelsey Grady, executive vice-president of communications at Nextdoor.
Survey points to tighter Halloween budgets
The company surveyed Canadians ahead of Halloween to examine how living costs are affecting plans and spending. The findings indicate that most respondents expect to limit their overall spending, while many also consider supporting local businesses a priority.
Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadians expect to spend between $0 and $49 on Halloween this year, while another nine per cent anticipate spending between $100 and $149. Overall, 88 per cent expect their total spending to remain below $100.
The survey also found that 59 per cent of respondents consider supporting local or Canadian businesses a priority when shopping for or celebrating Halloween. Examples include buying pumpkins from nearby farms, costumes from neighbourhood shops and treats from local bakeries.
The proportion was higher in Atlantic Canada, where 69 per cent of respondents identified supporting local businesses as a priority. The figure was 68 per cent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and 62 per cent in Ontario.
Awareness and affordability affect local events
The findings suggest that the cost of attending events and awareness of activities in the community may influence participation in local Halloween celebrations.
About 24 per cent of Canadians said free or low-cost community events, including haunted houses, mazes and organized trick-or-treating groups, would make them more likely to support local businesses. Another 27 per cent said greater awareness of activities such as haunted houses, orchards and trick-or-treating villages would make them more likely to attend local events or support local vendors before Halloween.
In Ontario, 28 per cent of respondents identified awareness as the biggest barrier to participating in community events, followed by cost at 24 per cent. Nationally, 19 per cent said lower prices or deals would make them more likely to shop locally.
The Treat Map allows residents and businesses to add local events and destinations, with tags such as “Farm & Orchard” and “Haunted Attraction” intended to help users identify activities that interest them.
Nextdoor said the map is intended to make community events easier to find during the weeks leading up to Halloween, a busy period for farms and community festivals.
Residents can access the Treat Map through the Nextdoor app or at nextdoor.ca/treat_map.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Maya Kosoff, Senior Communications Manager at Nextdoor talked about the survey results.
How does this year’s survey compare with previous years’ findings on Halloween spending, and have you observed any notable shifts in how Canadians are balancing holiday traditions with household budgets?
We don’t have year-over-year data on Halloween spending from Nextdoor, but other Canadian research gives us some useful context. A 2025 Leger survey found that 70% of Canadians planned to spend the same amount on Halloween as the year before, suggesting people were looking to maintain their traditions without necessarily increasing their budgets.
This year, our survey found that 65% of Canadians expect to spend $49 or less on Halloween, while one in four don’t plan to shop for the holiday at all. It shows that keeping costs down is a priority for many households.
On Nextdoor, we’re seeing how neighbours are finding ways to celebrate Halloween without stretching their budgets, from sharing recommendations for free community events to decorating their homes and finding creative costume ideas. It shows that while spending may be more limited, people are still looking for ways to keep traditions alive and connect with their communities.
With 88 per cent of respondents expecting to spend less than $100 on Halloween and 65 per cent anticipating spending no more than $49, what are Canadians telling you about how cost-of-living pressures are changing their holiday spending priorities?
What we hear on Nextdoor is that families are becoming more intentional about where their money goes, but that doesn’t mean they want to give up the traditions that make Halloween special. The good news is that trick-or-treating itself is largely free, so that tradition can continue to live on.
Where parents often feel the pressure is in the expectation to go above and beyond, whether that’s elaborate costumes, school events or over-the-top decorations.
We want to help families find ways to enjoy Halloween without feeling they have to spend more to make it special. That could mean discovering free local Halloween events, reusing costumes or getting creative with DIY decorations. On Nextdoor, neighbours share ideas and step-by-step guides for all kinds of projects, so if you want to build your own Halloween graveyard, chances are someone nearby has tips to help you do it. It’s about making it easier for families to enjoy the holiday and connect with their neighbours, whatever their budget.
Nearly six in 10 Canadians say supporting local or Canadian businesses is a priority this Halloween. What opportunities does this create for small businesses, local retailers, farms and community event operators, and how can they use Nextdoor to reach potential customers?
Halloween gives local businesses a natural opportunity to become part of their community’s celebrations. That could mean a farm promoting pumpkin picking, a bakery offering seasonal treats or an independent retailer hosting a family-friendly activity.
For businesses, the key is making it easy for nearby residents to discover what they offer.
Nextdoor gives them a way to connect with people in their surrounding neighbourhoods, and for the first time ever, businesses can now pin their locations on the Treat Map. This makes it easier for families to discover local businesses and find affordable Halloween attractions and activities close to home. It’s a great opportunity for small businesses to reach nearby residents who are actively looking for ways to celebrate, while encouraging people to support the businesses in their communities.
The survey found that greater awareness of local events could encourage more Canadians to attend community activities or support local vendors. What are the biggest barriers preventing residents from discovering these events, and how is the Treat Map designed to address them?
One of the interesting findings from our survey is that 27% of Canadians say better awareness of what’s happening locally would make them more likely to attend community events and support local vendors. It can be surprisingly difficult to find out what’s happening in your own neighbourhood, even when events and activities are taking place just around the corner.
That’s where Nextdoor’s hyperlocal technology comes in. The Treat Map helps residents discover Halloween events, attractions and local businesses in their own neighbourhoods, bringing nearby opportunities to their attention that they might otherwise miss.
There’s also a community-building element to this. When people feel connected to their neighbours, they’re often more inclined to organize events because they know their community will show up. We find that people are often looking for a sense of community as much as they’re looking for something to do. By making it easier to discover what’s happening locally and connect with the people around them, Nextdoor can help bring neighbours together.
The Treat Map is returning for its seventh year in Canada with new business listings, event tags and search filters. How will Nextdoor measure the initiative’s success this year, and are there plans to expand its local business features or introduce similar tools to help Canadian businesses connect with neighbourhood customers?
This year’s updates are about making the Treat Map more useful to neighbours and giving local businesses and event organizers more ways to participate. We’ll be looking at map engagement to understand how people are using the expanded experience and whether it’s helping them discover local activities.
Looking forward, we’re always exploring ways to make it easier for neighbours to connect with their communities and for local businesses to reach the people around them. We’ll continue to listen to our community and use those insights to inform how we evolve the Nextdoor experience over time.
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