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 Courtesy Xochitl Mora,

Crime statistics, weather, and age of residents some of the metrics used to come up with the Top 20 ranking

 (McAllen, Texas)-As the month of October comes to an end, many in McAllen are gearing up to celebrate Halloween and the best way to do that is to go trick-or-treating. The folks at SmartAsset.com wanted to find out which U.S. cities were the best to be able to revel in the spooky and sweet fun.   They compared more than 256 cities across the country, and McAllen was ranked as #17 on that list of Best Places to Trick or Treat. They looked at seven metrics, including single-family housing density; percentage of residents younger than age 15; median home value; violent crime rate; property crime rate; precipitation rate and average temperature.

 McAllen received an overall index rating of 76.57, highlighted by the number of residential neighborhoods in the city, its low violent and property crime rate and a population that is just under 25% aged 15 or younger.  Low chance of rain and an average temperature of just over 84°F makes McAllen a great place for trick-or-treating. 

 According to Mayor Darling, while SmartAsset.com ranked an average temperature of 60°F as perfect trick-or-treating weather, Mayor Darling had to respectfully disagree. 

 “These folks don’t realize how warm it is in the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, or even Texas for that matter, so for us, 60°F is more like Christmas weather than Halloween. However, this year, it seems as if this year, McAllen will have a very cool Halloween, as even the cold weather up north wants to spend this holiday in South Texas!”

 Of course, there was one metric that the website did not rank and that is where Mayor Darling, along with several of McAllen’s youngest residents (see accompanying video), highlighted as the real reason why McAllen is truly the best place to trick-or-treat: “McAllen has the best candy!”

 Halloween is October 31, 2019 and all residents should follow some safety tips to insure everyone has a safe and enjoyable night, including:

• Parents should accompany all children when trick-or-treating
• Costumes should not restrict vision or mobility
• Parents should inspect all candy before allowing children (or themselves) to eat it.
• Parents or children should use flashlights or other illumination when walking about.
• When crossing streets, please use crosswalks and do not walk out from in-between vehicles.
• All motorists should exercise extreme caution when driving that night, as there will be additional pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, especially in residential neighborhoods.
• Parents should report any suspicious activity to the McAllen Police Department 681-2000 and for emergencies, dial 9-1-1 immediately.

Make this a happy and safe Halloween!