Hold Up, Iowa is One of the Scariest States?

Oooh, it's that time of the year: it's the spooky season! The time of year when we celebrate dressing up, handing out candy, watching horror flicks, and trying to scare those around us!

It's also a great time to revisit a simple question: do you believe in ghosts? When you really break it down, to believe in the idea that ghosts exist, is to essentially believe there are dead people (or animals) floating around amongst the living.

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For me personally... I'm not a believer in ghosts. That said, I certainly respect those who are, and those who have claimed to have seen, or had contact with a spirit.

If you do believe in ghosts, you'll be happy to know that in Iowa, you're in good company. And, a lot of good company. Iowa is one of the top states for ghost sightings per capita.

According to the website Porch, Iowa is ranked number 10 in most ghost sightings per capita, with data from a 2022 study. They used GhostsofAmerica.com in case you're wondering.

Using the study, the scariest, or most ghostly, state in the U.S. would be Maine. They average 58 encounters per 100,000 residents. Iowa being number 10 means we average nearly 38 encounters per 100,000 residents.

The states with the fewest ghost sightings are Arizona, New York, and Florida.

So where are we seeing these ghosts? Most reports, 31%, come from seeing a spirit at home. Other common-ish places include schools, churches, offices, or a hotel. U.S. Military bases also had a surprising number of ghostly sightings.

Again, I'm not big into ghosts. I think there's something potentially there with an afterlife/spirit world. I just don't feel that when someone passes on, they stick around their house, church, or, heaven forbid school for all eternity.

I know, I know, it's the time of year we're supposed to belive that ghosts are real. Boo hoo. Boo me, that's who.