Barbie is 2023’s most popular Halloween costume—but not in these 10 places. Here’s what you’ll see instead

It’s going to be a Barbie world pretty much everywhere this Halloween. 

That’s according to the annual Frightgeist report from Google Trends, which pulls from the top costume searches in the U.S. to determine the most popular choices both nationally and regionally. For the past two years, the classic witch dominated the charts. This season, though, Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie is ushering in a much more colorful October 31.

The iconic doll is the top costume pick in the U.S., followed by “princess” and “Spider-Man” in second and third places. And while most cities are mirroring the national trend, Frightgeist’s costume map shows a few areas where shoppers are searching for something a bit more unique. Here are 10 places where trick-or-treaters won’t see quite so many blonde wigs and pink bell bottoms this Halloween. 

Bend, Oregon: The Invisible Boatmobile is going to be outselling Barbie cars in Bend this year: Spongebob’s Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are the town’s most-searched costumes. For anyone not in Bend, there’s a “shockingly low” chance of seeing another Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy at a party, considering that the duo ranks at 505 on the national list.

Casper-Riverton, Wyoming: Prepare to do the time warp if you’re a Casper-Riverton local, where Rocky Horror is the hottest search term. Lima, Ohio and Helena, Montana are the next most likely places to come across a rendition of Frank-N-Furter while trick-or-treating.

Lafayette, Louisiana: Lafayette residents might be taking some inspiration from Mean Girls, judging by the local search volume for “bunny.” Animal-related queries make up 5% of all costume searches this year.

Anchorage, Alaska: “Pirate” is the most searched option in Anchorage, but perhaps more intriguing is Frightgeist’s categorization of the costume in the “professions” subsection.

North Platte, Nebraska: Mario’s nemesis, Bowser, is the top pick in North Platte. The turtle-adjacent villain is also surprisingly popular nationwide, coming in at 42 on the overall list. Google predicts that there’s a “frighteningly high chance” of seeing a Bowser costume on Halloween wherever you live.

Alpena, Michigan: It’s going to be hard to choose just one of Lady Gaga’s iconic outfits to re-create, but it looks like several people searching from Alpena are planning to try. 

Zanesville, Ohio: Dinosaurs are the costume of choice in Zanesville. They’re also ranked seventh nationally, while the more specific “t-rex” and “inflatable dino” terms come in at 202 and 226 respectively.

Kirksville, Missouri: Strawberries might not be in season in October, but they’re still going to spring up in the streets of Kirksville on Halloween. According to Frightgeist, the odds of encountering a doppelgänger are 50-50 if you choose this option. 

Jackson, Mississippi: The ‘80s will be back for one night in Jackson, where the decade is the top Google search. While the ‘80s are a relatively hot pick nationally this year, eras only make up 1% of total costume search volume. (That is, unless we’re talking about Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour, considering that the wildly popular singer-songwriter is in 22nd place overall).

Parkersburg, West Virginia: While Barbie may have taken over the national consciousness, most people from Parkersburg are sticking with the tried-and-true, reprising the witch costume for the third year in a row. They’re not alone, either: “Witch” is holding strong at fourth on the national list.