Time to stock up on candy! Though we’ve still got a few weeks to go before Halloween, CandyStore.com recently released its annual list of the most popular Halloween candies by state and there are some pretty significant changes when compared with the data from 2018.
For example, while Alabama residents preferred Tootsie Pops last year, the suckers were bumped to third place by Hershey’s Mini Bars (this year’s victor) and candy corn, which nabbed second place this time around.
A similar shift happened in North Dakota. While Jolly Ranchers were the sweet treats of choice in 2018, candy corn took the top spot this year, followed closely by Hot Tamales. Last year’s beloved fruit snacks sunk to third place.
CandyStore.com compiled this data by examining 12 years of sales data (2007-2018) and paying special attention to the months leading up to October 31. The site projects that Halloween candy sales this year will total around $2.6 billion, and that 95 percent of American households will buy candy in honor of the spooky holiday.
From a nationwide perspective, this year’s most popular Halloween candy is Skittles, which took the top spot in seven states – Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota and South Carolina. Surprisingly, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which are thought to be widely beloved, only took the no. 1 spot in Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas. Interestingly enough, the treats also shared the top spot with Dubble Bubble Gum in Oklahoma.
On the other end of the spectrum, Lemonheads, Butterfinger and Snickers were some of the sweets that were only ranked the most popular confection in one state each.
And while candy corn is usually viewed as one of the season’s most divisive treats, it managed to take the top spot in an impressive five states – Idaho, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico and North Dakota.
Curious to see which Halloween candy residents of your state prefer before you stock up for the holiday? Scroll down for the state-by-state breakdown!
Alabama: Hershey’s Mini Bars
Alaska: Twix
Arizona: Hot Tamales
Arkansas: Skittles
California: Skittles
Colorado: Twix
Connecticut: Milky Way
Delaware: Skittles
Florida: Skittles
Georgia: Jolly Ranchers
Hawaii: Skittles
Idaho: Candy Corn
Illinois: Kit Kat
Indiana: Hot Tamales
Iowa: Candy Corn
Kansas: Reese’s Cups
Kentucky: Swedish Fish
Louisiana: Lemonheads
Maine: Sour Patch Kids
Maryland: Reese’s Cups
Massachusetts: Butterfinger
Michigan: Starburst
Minnesota: Skittles
Mississippi: Snickers
Missouri: Milky Way
Montana: Dubble Bubble Gum
Nebraska: Salt Water Taffy
Nevada: Candy Corn
New Hampshire: Starburst
New Jersey: Tootsie Pops
New Mexico: Candy Corn
New York: Hot Tamales
North Carolina: Reese’s Cups
North Dakota: Candy Corn
Ohio: M&M’s
Oklahoma: Dubble Bubble Gum or Reese’s Cups
Pennsylvania: Hershey’s Mini Bars
Rhode Island: Twix
South Carolina: Skittles
South Dakota: Starburst
Tennessee: Tootsie Pops
Texas: Reese’s Cups
Utah: Jolly Ranchers
Vermont: M&M’s
Virginia: Hot Tamales
Washington D.C.: Tootsie Pops
Washington: Salt Water Taffy
West Virginia: Blow Pops
Wisconsin: Starburst
Wyoming: Salt Water Taffy
Tell Us: Are you surprised by the most popular Halloween candy in your state?
