Study: Erie among top 10 locations in Pa. with most supernatural encounters

Don't be surprised if you have a supernatural encounter in Erie. The city apparently has a history of it.

That's according to research by the online Pennsylvania gambling resource, PennStakes, which recently ranked Erie as the eighth most supernatural location in the state based on the number of its reported ghost and UFO sightings.

Compiling data from Ghosts of America, a website that records ghost sightings, and the National UFO Reporting Center, the study showed Erie with a total of 79 reported sightings: Nine ghost sightings and 70 UFO sightings. The sightings in the study date back to the early 20th century. One of the most notable UFO sightings in Erie occurred in 1966.

Pittsburgh took the No. 1 spot with a total of 273 combined sightings, followed by Philadelphia with 266 sightings and Reading with 166 sightings.

The study also ranked Pennsylvania seventh in the nation for so-called “sightings of the supernatural.” The state has a total of 7,184 sightings: 2,268 ghost sightings and 4,916 UFO sightings.

California claimed the top spot with a combined 23,085 sightings, followed by Texas with 13,258 sightings and Florida with 9,875 sightings.

The study also revealed the top 10 states with the greatest chances of spotting the supernatural. Those odds were determined by comparing the number of sightings to population data of each state.

Erie residents feeling a bit spooked can rest assured: The Keystone Stone did not make that list.

Pennsylvania ranked 35th in the nation, with Pennsylvanians having a 0.0553% chance of encountering the supernatural. Maine, Vermont and Montana claimed the top spots.

Here are the full top 10 lists

Top 10 most supernatural locations in Pennsylvania:

1. Pittsburgh: 273 sightings

2. Philadelphia: 266 sightings

3. Reading: 116 sightings

4. Allentown: 97 sightings

5. Lancaster: 87 sightings

6. York: 86 sightings

7. Harrisburg: 82 sightings

8. Erie: 79 sightings

9. Gettysburg: 60 sightings

10. Johnstown: 52 sightings

Top 10 states with the most supernatural sightings:

1. California: 23,085 sightings

2. Texas: 13,528 sightings

3. Florida: 9,875 sightings

4. Washington: 8,408 sightings

5. New York: 7,928 sightings

6. Ohio: 7,319 sightings

7. Pennsylvania: 7,184 sightings

8. Illinois: 6,790 sightings

9. Michigan: 6,343 sightings

10. Arizona: 5,670 sightings

Top 10 states with the greatest chances of spotting something spooky:

1. Maine: 0.1441% chance of spotting the supernatural

2. Vermont: 0.1308%

3. Montana: 0.1267%

4. Alaska: 0.1189%

5. Washington: 0.1091%

6. Wyoming: 0.1085%

7. New Hampshire: 0.1069%

8. New Mexico: 0.1068%

9. Oregon: 0.1015%

10. Idaho: 0.1010%

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A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie among top 10 locations in PA with most supernatural encounters