This is the most popular Halloween decoration - and it isn't a pumpkin

Halloween is just around the corner, and we're chomping at the bit to give our homes a spooky makeover from some of the best places to buy Halloween decorations. But a new study has revealed the most popular decorations across the US - and, surprisingly, pumpkins weren't the most popular.

We were shocked too - as it turns out skeletons are number one. If you're currently planning out some epic Halloween door decoration ideas or kitting out your home for a Halloween party, take inspiration from these top-rated decorations.

Lombardo Homes looked at Google search data and found that skeletons were the most popular Halloween decoration overall. However, pumpkins, spiders, witches and bats rounded out the top five.

We have to say, all of the items above are totally synonymous with the spookiest time of the year and worth including in your Halloween outdoor decor ideas. Looking at trends across the entire country, it seems that the East coast likes to keep it classic with pumpkins, whereas the West coast has a thing for bats.

67 percent of homeowners surveyed said that they decorate the inside of their homes, and 61 percent say they decorate outside. Fifty-four percent are true Halloween devotees and decorate both the interior and exterior.

Elsewhere, cornstalks are popular in the Midwest, and we love the fact Nebraska and Arkansas prefer animal skeletons more than most. There's something particularly creepy yet funny about a little four-legged skeleton.

Lawn inflatables are still highly popular options, too, as the most-searched-for type of decoration. Halloween trees (think Christmas tree covered in cobwebs), projectors, front door decorations and animatronics were also up there on the list of things Americans are shopping for this season.

Halloween is a big deal and we're not afraid to spend time and money on making a big impact with our displays. On average, we spend around $145 on our decorations and take around 3.3 hours giving our homes a ghostly transformation.

A large majority (82%) of people are decorating for Halloween this year, and we think it's the perfect excuse to have some fun and experiment with bolder fall decor choices. 

Will you be inspired by Texas and incorporate scary clowns? Or perhaps you'll follow the New York crowd with some scarecrows... One thing's for sure, we're not limiting ourselves to a couple of jack o'lanterns on our doorsteps this year.