Witches are among us. You just won’t find them wearing pointy hats, riding broomsticks, or boiling eye of newt in a cauldron — not the real ones, at least.
So, witch cities are best for living a charmed life?
With the big weekend shaping up to be extra scary this year (“Halloween Ends” and 12-foot skeletons in front yards), Lawn Love did a little data magick to conjure up 2022’s Best Cities for Witches.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on access to covens, tarot readers, and astrology classes. We also looked for cities brimming with natural healers, herbalists, and metaphysical supply stores, among 18 total metrics.
Use our rankings to find the best place to gather with your coven and celebrate the spookiest time of the year.
In this article
City rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
The upshot
Magical melting pot
New York has bewitched us for the second year in a row, leading the way as the best city for witches.
From urban soothsayers to spiritual consultants to hexers of the New York Stock Exchange, witchcraft is popular in The Big Apple. NYC flies to the No. 1 spot in each category of our ranking — a rare feat. The city has the most witch, Wiccan, pagan, and magick groups and tarot readers.
What better place to host a supernatural gathering than in the best city for witches and vampires? Explore magickal Manhattan, and gather with fellow witches for the annual WitchsFest USA.
Witchy tips:
- Find crystals and manifestation kits from Stick Stone & Bone.
- Schedule a tarot reading at Catland Books. Afterward, check out their shop and library featuring rare books and ethically sourced occult apothecary items.
Brewing Pacific potions
Manifestation and New Age spiritualism have become popular in Western states, but their local Wiccans and pagans don’t forget about the Old Religion, either. No wonder witchy West Coast cities took up half of our top 10 this year.
Los Angeles brings home the silver, with plenty of Covens and Supplies (No. 2 in both). The City of Witches Angels has the highest number of spiritual, candle, and herb shops. Yoga and reiki healing are popular in LA, San Diego (No. 6), and San Francisco (No. 10).
Head northwest to explore the “Mystic District” in Portland (No. 7). Rose City has the second highest number of witch, Wiccan, pagan, and magick groups behind NYC. Meanwhile, Seattle (No. 8) has plenty of herbalists and astrology classes.
Witchy tips:
- Los Angeles: Find spellcasting supplies and assistance at The Green Man. Another favorite magickal shop is Pan’s Apothika. This store also offers tarot readings and meditation classes.
- San Diego: Celebrate Samhain with spiritual supplies from Tree of Life, San Diego’s favorite metaphysical shop. You can also schedule a reading or healing session. Research Witchcraft Studies at San Diego State University’s Special Collections Library.
- Portland: Gather magick scents and sign up for a witchy workshop at Seagrape Apothecary. You can find gemstones and natural remedies at Brown Bear Herbs.
Heated hexes
Magick abounds in Las Vegas (No. 5), and it’s more than tricks and illusions along the Strip. Sin City has the most reiki healers, psychics, and supernatural readings out of all the cities in our ranking.
Other Southwestern cities, such as Phoenix (No. 11), Denver (No. 17), and Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 20), fared well, too. Phoenix has many witch Facebook groups, herbalists, and metaphysical supply shops, while Colorado Springs has abundant pagan churches. Denver has numerous witches and astrology classes.
Witchy tips:
- Las Vegas: Sin City Witches helps connect the magickal community with witchcraft mentorship and workshops. The Realms Within is a popular metaphysical shop, offering classes, reiki services, and more than 100 pocket stones to pick from.
- Phoenix: For spiritual guidance and services, head to Elements of Spirit. They also sell ritual supplies, such as candles, oils, and incense.
- Denver: The Mile High City hosts the annual WitchFest, but you can find witchy wares and guidance year-round at RitualCravt.
Lone Star sorcery
Texas is full of hexes, with the Texas Triangle cities spellbound to the top of our ranking.
Houston lands near the top at No. 3, tying with four other cities for the highest number of pagan churches. Space City also has the second highest number of psychics and metaphysical supply stores.
Austin (No. 9) continues to Keep It Weird, with plenty of Covens (No. 6). Bat City also has numerous herbalists and yoga classes, while Dallas (No. 12) has a lot of witch Facebook groups and astrology classes. San Antonio (No. 13) fared well in Supplies (No. 7).
Not all of the Lone Star State is witch-friendly. Seventeen smaller Texas cities and suburbs landed at the bottom half of our ranking, with Pasadena tied for last place alongside Warren, Michigan.
Witchy tips:
- Houston: Find magickal supplies and Renaissance gear at The Magick Cauldron. Thorn & Moon apothecary also hosts a monthly Magickal Market, featuring food trucks, burlesque shows, and local witchy vendors.
- Austin: Make plans to attend the annual Austin Witchfest with your coven, or celebrate Austin Pagan Pride Day.
- Dallas: Park your broom at a little purple house called The Labyrinth. This is the oldest witch shop in Dallas, where you’ll find handmade soaps, candles, and other metaphysical supplies.
Behind the ranking
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.
We then grouped those factors into four categories: Covens, Health, Spirituality, and Supplies.
Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.
Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.
The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Worst” (No. 200). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 200 due to ties among cities.)
Sources
American Herbalists Guild, Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, Facebook, Find a Grave, Findastrologer.com, Gemstone Well, Meetup, Herbalists Without Borders, Thumbtack, and Yelp
Final thoughts: Enchanted by pop culture
We’re under a spell, and it’s easy to see through the lens of pop culture. From “Macbeth” to “American Horror Story,” we’ve remained bewitched by their magick throughout the ages.
There are plenty of ways to find magick in your day-to-day life, whether by casting spells alongside Hermione, talking to our cats like Sabrina, or just singing along with Elphaba.
Take a break from the screens by planning a trip to learn more witchy history and explore some of America’s most enchanting destinations.
Salem, Massachusetts
Possibly America’s most notable witchy city, Salem is home to many occult shops. Take a trip to The Witch House, Witch Museum, and Witch Dungeon Museum to learn more about this city’s magical history.
Cassadaga, Florida
Known as the “Psychic Capital of the World,” this small community just 30 minutes north of Orlando is home to a large community of spiritualists and mediums.
New Orleans, Louisiana
This city is home to all things supernatural. Visit the Voodoo Museum and learn about The Big Easy’s very own queens of Voodoo.
Lily Dale, New York
Since 1879, this small town in Western New York has been “the world’s largest center for spiritual development” associated with the Spiritualist movement. Get in touch with the supernatural by visiting and mingling with mediums.
Hartford, Connecticut
While Salem is better known for its infamous witch trials, Connecticut actually held the first large-scale witch trials three decades earlier in the Hartford area. In nearby Wethersfield, you can visit the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum and take a historically accurate “Witches and Tombstones” tour.
Despite our society’s age-old interest in the occult, however, stereotypes and misconceptions about witchcraft continue to pervade the media we consume. Learn more about real witches and debunked popular myths and misconceptions.
Hosting your coven in your yard to cast some late-night spells? Contact a Lawn Love professional to help get your landscape in magical shape.
Main photo credit: iStock