The day has arrived when ghouls and goblins will be running around all night trying to get their hands on their favorite candy. It’s Halloween, of course! Now, let me take you back to your nights as a little trick-or-treater, when your main goal was to scope out all the houses giving out full-size candy bars. You made sure to have a tight grip on your plastic pumpkin basket and wanted so desperately to take off the sweater your mom made you put on over your super cool costume. Once the night was over, your biggest decision came when you would trade with your friends or siblings. Was a Reese’s really worth a Kit-Kat? Or did the mighty Sour Patch hold as much value as a large Skittles pack? Either way, these important decisions came from which candy you favored the most, and throughout the country, these Halloween candy preferences vary every year.
Surprisingly enough, candy corn might have been rising in popularity throughout the United States this year. It was the most Googled candy on the web in 2024, as it was searched by 34 out of 50 of the US States.
As candy sales skyrocketed past $3.5 billion, per CandyStore.com, candy corn was not the only top contender this year. Out of the most popular Halloween candy nationwide, beloved options including M&M’s, Reese’s Cups, Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, and Starburst were amongst the top 5. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a perfect lineup to me. Other choices, which I would probably give away immediately in my candy trading, included Hot Tamales, candy corn, Hershey Kisses, Hershey Mini Bars, and Butterfinger.
Based on recent data from CandyStore.com, we can see which states prefer what candy. For Alaska, it was Sour Patch Kids, and for Colorado, it was Hershey Kisses. But let’s take a look nationwide to see just what treat people are hoping to pick out of their candy bowl this year. Can you spot any spooky trends?
What’s the most popular Halloween candy in each state this year?
Alaska – Sour Patch Kids
Alabama – Skittles
Arkansas – Butterfinger
Arizona – Hershey Kisses
California – M&Ms
Colorado- Hershey Kisses
Connecticut – Almond Joy
Washington D.C. – M&Ms
Delaware – Sour Patch Kids
Florida – Reese’s Cups
Georgia – Jolly Ranchers
Hawaii – Hershey’s Mini Bars
Iowa – M&M’s
Idaho – Snickers
Illinois – Sour Patch Kids
Indiana – Starburst
Kansas – M&M’s
Kentucky – Reese’s Cups
Louisiana – Lemon Heads
Massachusetts – Butterfinger
Maryland – Candy Corn
Maine – Sour Patch Kids
Michigan – Starburst
Minnesota – Hot Tamales
Missouri – Almond Joy
Mississippi – 3 Musketeers
Montana – Twix
North Carolina – M&M’s
North Dakota – Hot Tamales
Nebraska – Sour Patch Kids
New Hampshire – Reese’s Cups
New Jersey – Tootsie Pops
New Mexico – Hot Tamales
Nevada – Hershey’s Mini Bars
New York – Sour Patch Kids
Ohio – Blow Pops
Oklahoma – Butterfinger
Oregon – M&M’s
Pennsylvania – M&M’s
Rhode Island – Hershey’s Mini Bars
South Carolina – Butterfinger
South Dakota – Jolly Ranchers
Tennessee – Snickers
Texas – Sour Patch Kids
Utah – Candy Corn
Virginia – Butterfinger
Vermont – M&M’s
Washington – M&M’s
Wisconsin – Butterfinger
West Virginia – Hershey’s Mini Bars
Wyoming – Reese’s Cups