Las Vegas on national list of best cities for trick-or-treaters

By Rich Coleman

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010 | 10:12 a.m.

Having doubts about this year’s Halloween haul? According to an annual report, Las Vegas trick-or-treaters can expect to bring home a bountiful bag of candy this Halloween.

Real estate website Zillow.com ranked Las Vegas No. 9 on its list of the best cities for trick-or-treating.

The second annual “Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index” was calculated using four equally weighted data variables: population density, crime data, Zillow’s Home Value Index and a walk score.

Using the criteria, Zillow says its list includes cities that will provide the most candy with the least walking and safety risk. The top-ranked city was Seattle, Wash.

Zillow also identified what it called the best Las Vegas neighborhoods for trick-or-treaters as The Lakes, Buffalo, Desert Shores, Michael Way and North Cheyenne.

“We theorized that homes in more expensive neighborhoods would give out bigger, better candy. However, wealthy neighborhoods are not always the best for harvesting the most Halloween candy,” Zillow spokeswoman Whitney Taylor said in a statement. “For parents and kids alike, the walkability and density of a neighborhood is key to covering the most ground, in the fastest time, to collect the most candy.”

The following cities, in order, are Zillow's best cities for trick-or-treaters: Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, San Jose, Denver, Sacramento, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, Milwaukee, San Diego, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Austin, San Antonio and Phoenix.