Creaking floorboards, flickering lights, and rattling pipes have left plenty of Americans spooked.

These strange occurrences are frighteningly common, with more than a third of homeowners (39%) — including nearly half of Gen Z (49%) and millennials (45%) — experiencing something unexplainable in their home.

Frequent unexplained experiences are enough to make the idea of a haunted home feel less far-fetched. In fact, 71% of Americans believe it’s possible for a house to be haunted.

It's not just a bunch of hocus pocus. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (19%) believe they've lived in a real haunted house. Of those, 29% didn't even believe in ghosts before they moved in, but their home gave them a reason to reconsider.

Younger generations are the most likely to claim they've lived in a haunted house, with 21% of Gen Z and 27% of millennials saying they've lived with ghosts. That's roughly triple the 8% of boomers who say the same.

Their belief in the supernatural may make young homeowners more likely to see evidence of a haunting. Nearly three-fourths of Gen Z (73%) and millennials (70%) say they believe in the paranormal, compared to 60% of boomers.

Americans have survived enough real-world horrors to know that a few ghosts are no reason to give up on a home they love.

Among those who have lived in a haunted house, nearly 1 in 4 (24%) say they knew the house was haunted before moving in and still chose to live there. That percentage nearly doubles to 42% of those who currently live in a haunted house.

However, most Americans are shocked to discover paranormal activity in their home, with 76% saying they unknowingly purchased a haunted house. They only discovered their house was haunted because of:

Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 3 homeowners (32%) who believe they've lived in a haunted house say they had no evidence. It just "felt haunted."

Without evidence to ground their beliefs, homeowners may be quick to attribute unusual experiences to the paranormal. About 41% of haunted house owners say there are no logical explanations to the supernatural events happening in their home.

From high home prices to rising mortgage rates, there's no shortage of horrors haunting today's home buyers. Americans are so spooked by the housing market that 71% say they would not immediately move out of a haunted home, even if:

Even in the face of some truly terrifying phenomena, homeowners are prepared to give themselves plenty of time to decide if they could truly live in a haunted house. More than half of homeowners (54%) say they'd stay in a haunted house a year or more, including 40% who'd stay indefinitely.

What keeps homeowners from making a run for it has less to do with ghosts and more to do with what they'd lose by leaving. Homeowners most commonly say they wouldn't immediately move out of a haunted house because they love their home (36%).

Costs are another big barrier, with 30% saying they couldn't afford to move and 26% saying homes are too expensive.

Among those who would not move immediately, some would simply try to coexist with the spirits (29%), while 1 in 8 would go so far as to make the home more comfortable for the ghosts (12%).

Others would try to purge their home of its ghosts by:

For 57% of Americans, ridding their home of ghosts is worth paying for, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) saying they'd spend $1,000 or more to have their haunted home cleansed or exorcised so they could continue living there.

With firsthand experience of unwanted roommates, haunted house owners are the most eager to evict their unwanted roommates, with about 69% saying they'd pay to cleanse their home. Haunted house owners (32%) are also twice as likely as non-haunted house owners (16%) to say they'd pay $1,000 or more for the service.

Although 43% of haunted house owners would not recommend it to others, many of today's buyers don't plan to heed their warning.

More than half of Americans (54%) could be persuaded to buy a house they knew was haunted, with desperate young home buyers more likely to take the risk. Approximately 58% of Gen Z and 63% of millennials would knowingly buy a haunted house, compared to 47% of boomers.

Few Americans are dying to live in a haunted house, but paranormal activity is often the least of buyers' worries when purchasing a home.

Buyers are more afraid of real-world problems, such as bad neighbors (49%), affording major repairs (48%), rising crime in their neighborhood (45%), and rising property taxes (45%). Discovering their home is haunted falls to the bottom of the list at 24%.

House hunters may be more willing to take their chances with ghosts, but they may underestimate just how unsettling the experience can be:

What's more, 59% of haunted house owners would not purchase another house they knew was haunted, and 53% say there are no benefits to owning a haunted house.

A majority of haunted homeowners don’t see much of an upside, but some Americans think there’s one way to make living with ghosts worthwhile: cashing in on them. More than a third (34%) would try to monetize their haunted house by offering tours and renting it out.

The prospect is particularly appealing to younger generations who are looking for ways to make homeownership more affordable. Nearly half of Gen Z (48%) and millennials (48%) would try to monetize their haunted house — 3x the percentage of boomers (15%) who would do the same

House hunters are facing a new affordability scare as interest rates creep to their highest level in two years. The spike has stifled demand for homes, and sellers now outnumber buyers by 58%.

Yet the shift toward a buyers market has handed home shoppers more negotiating power. Of those who would dare to buy a haunted house, 62% would only do so for a lower price.

If everything else about a haunted house met their criteria, 46% of those willing to live with ghosts would still offer below market value — a surprising drop from the 68% who said the same in 2025.

As odd as that may seem, a ghost may not be enough to scare buyers away from a home that checks every other box, including condition and location. In fact, 57% of Americans say they'd rather live in a haunted home in their dream neighborhood than a non-haunted home in an undesirable location.

That may explain why haunted house buyers aren't asking sellers to take a frighteningly big hit. Among buyers who wouldn't pay full price, 60% would ask for a discount of less than $50,000. The remaining 40% would seek a discount of $50,000 or more.

The modest ask suggests sellers bracing for a trick may be in for more of a treat.

About 63% of haunted homeowners think their house will sell for less than market value, but they tend to overestimate the size of the discount they may have to give. Of those who expect to sell below market value, only 27% expect to give a discount of less than $50,000, while 73% expect to discount their price by $50,000 or more.

Some haunted homeowners, however, are conjuring visions of a big payday. About 40% expect to sell above market value, but only 32% of buyers say they'd offer that much.

Young buyers are the exception, with Gen Z (48%) and millennials (42%) nearly 3x more likely than boomers (16%) to offer above market value for a haunted house.

More than half of haunted house owners (59%) say living with ghosts has scared them. But for most Americans, the most terrifying thing about owning a home isn't what's haunting it. It's what could be wrong with it.

An overwhelming 91% of Americans are more afraid of home repair problems, such as mold (64%), termites (56%), and asbestos (54%), than ghosts.

These problems pose real risks to a home's safety and often come with a frighteningly high repair bill. Still, nearly 1 in 10 (9%) Americans say nothing would be scarier than living in a haunted house.

Younger generations, in particular, aren't ready to make peace with the paranormal:

Few Americans would call a haunted house their dream home, but there are plenty of places to live they’d find even more terrifying.

The location most likely to scare buyers away is an area with high crime rates. More than half of Americans (51%) say they'd refuse to buy a home in such a dangerous neighborhood.

Other locations that would send buyers running include:

A new menace is also looming over the housing market. As data centers creep into communities, 38% of Americans would refuse to buy a home next to one, likely haunted by the thought of ceaseless noise and light pollution.

Meanwhile, just a third of Americans say a house confirmed to be haunted (32%) is a dealbreaker, and a quarter say the same about a house rumored to be haunted (25%).

Buyers may not view a bewitched property as much of a dealbreaker, but haunted homeowners still expect a terrifying selling experience. About 66% of haunted homeowners think their house will be harder to sell.

Haunted house sellers are most commonly concerned about finding interested buyers (45%), and many fear their homes could linger on the market. Americans broadly share that expectation, with nearly half (47%) saying a known haunted home will take at least three months longer to sell than a non-haunted home. A third (36%) think it will take at least six months longer.

The reality of selling a haunted home might be far worse than expected. Of those who have sold a haunted home, more than 1 in 5 (21%) say their home sat on the market for two years or more.

Sellers are also concerned about:

It's no surprise, then, that sellers want to keep ghosts under wraps. About 67% would not willingly disclose if their house was haunted. Of those:

Americans may be willing to purchase a haunted house, but they want to know about the haunting upfront. Nearly half (48%) would consider suing a home seller who knowingly sold them a haunted house.

Consequently, there is broad support for more transparency. About 73% of Americans believe real estate agents should be required to tell buyers if they're purchasing a stigmatized property, and 64% believe the government should require home sellers to disclose if their house is haunted

Yet only four states — New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Minnesota — have specific laws regarding the disclosure of haunted homes.

If buyers don't trust sellers to be honest about the skeletons they have hidden in their closet, they'll investigate it themselves: 35% of Americans would pay for a paranormal inspection alongside a standard home inspection before buying.