What candles cost per burn hour
- The median candle in this comparison costs $0.49 per burn hour, across 30 candles from 22 brands, using each maker's longest stated burn time.
- Cost per stated burn hour ranged from $0.13 (Yankee Candle Original Large Jar) to $2.81 (Penhaligon's Halfeti), about 21 times as much.
- By price, the median was $0.37 per hour for candles under $30 (17 candles), $0.83 per hour for candles $30 to $59 (7 candles), $1.58 per hour for candles $60 and up (6 candles).
- Paying more bought more stated hours: the median stated burn time was 60 hours for candles $60 and up, longer than the 40 hours for candles under $30.
- Stated burn time per ounce ran from 1.3 hours (Threshold Black Label 3-Wick Ceramic Jar) to 10.6 hours (Vacation High Ceiling Resort Lobby) across the 29 candles that list a size, so stated hours are hard to compare between brands.
- A bigger jar did not always mean more hours: Chesapeake Bay Candle rates its 14.5 oz three-wick jar for 36 hours and its 8 oz jar for 51, and Threshold rates its 15 oz three-wick jar for 20 hours and its 8 oz jar for 30.
Source: Our comparison of published prices and maker-stated burn times. Burn times are the makers' figures, not our tests. See the full data and method.
Which candle scents people search for
- Of 15 selected candle-scent searches, "vanilla candle" had the largest US Google search estimate, about 8,100 a month, 1.8 times "lavender candle" at about 4,400.
- Google reported a three-month rise of more than 50% for 6 of the 15 candle-scent searches: "pumpkin spice candle" (+408%), "balsam fir candle" (+181%), "apple cinnamon candle" (+171%), "christmas tree candle" (+129%), "cinnamon candle" (+116%) and "pine tree candle" (+91%).
- Google reported a three-month drop for 3 of the 15: "honeysuckle candle" (-19%), "sea salt candle" (-19%) and "clean cotton candle" (-18%).
- Searches for "unscented candles" averaged about 2,900 a month, the same rounded estimate as "eucalyptus candle" and "pumpkin spice candle".
- "how to get wax out of clothes" averaged about 6,600 US searches a month, more than every selected scent search except "vanilla candle".
Source: Google Keyword Planner estimates, United States, October 2025–September 2026, read October 30, 2026. Rounded, including close variants; search estimates, not sales. See the full data and method.
The US candle industry
- US retail sales of candles are estimated at about $3.14 billion a year, according to the National Candle Association, which cites a 2013 Mintel estimate.
- More than 1 billion pounds of wax go into the candles sold in the US each year, according to the National Candle Association.
- More than 10,000 different candle scents are available to US shoppers, the National Candle Association estimates.
- Candle prices generally run from about $1.99 for a votive to $35 for a large pillar or jar candle, with some boxed luxury candles at $200 or more, according to the National Candle Association.
- National Candle Association members make about 80% of the candles made in the US, according to the association.
Source: National Candle Association, Facts & Figures; page updated September 9, 2025; checked November 9, 2026.
How people buy and burn candles
- Container and jar candles are the most popular type of candle with American shoppers, according to the National Candle Association.
- Three in four candle buyers say fragrance is extremely or very important when they choose a candle, according to National Candle Association research.
- Nine in ten candle users say they use candles to make a room feel comfortable or cozy, according to the National Candle Association.
- About three in four candle users say they usually burn a candle for 4 hours or less at a time, according to the National Candle Association.
- Candle users burn candles most often in the living room (42%), then the kitchen (18%) and the bedroom (13%), according to the National Candle Association.
- Candle buyers see candles as a good gift for the holidays (76%), housewarmings (74%), hostess or dinner parties (66%), thank-yous (61%) and adult birthdays (58%), according to the National Candle Association.
- Most US consumers use their candles within a week of buying them, according to the National Candle Association.
Source: National Candle Association, Facts & Figures; page updated September 9, 2025; checked November 9, 2026.
Candle fire statistics
- US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 5,894 home structure fires a year in which a candle was the heat source, in 2020–2024, according to the NFPA.
- Candle fires caused an average of 63 civilian deaths, 532 civilian injuries and $286 million in direct property damage a year in 2020–2024, according to the NFPA.
- More than half of home candle fires started when something that can burn, such as furniture, bedding, curtains or decorations, was too close to the candle, according to the NFPA.
- Over a third of home candle fires (36%) started in the bedroom, according to the NFPA's 2020–2024 figures.
- In 21% of home candle fires, the candle was left unattended, discarded or otherwise misused, according to the NFPA.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, Candle fire statistics; 2020–2024 averages; checked November 9, 2026.
About these numbers
- The first two sections are our own research. We read each candle's price and stated burn time from its own product page, and we took the scent search estimates from Google Keyword Planner. Each links to the full data, with a CSV download.
- Burn times are the makers' figures; we did not burn the candles. Search estimates show interest, not sales.
- Outside figures are restated from the source pages on the dates shown. The National Candle Association's $3.14 billion sales estimate dates from 2013, and its page doesn't give a year for its consumer figures.
- We sell candles, but our own candles are not counted in any of these numbers.
To cite a number, link to this page or to the statistic itself, for example https://coloradocandleco.com/guides/candle-statistics/#cost-median-cost-per-burn-hour.
— Colorado Candle Co.