Reese's Cups Are the Most Popular Halloween Candy in America—See Your State's Favorite on This Handy Map

Consumers are expected to spend $3.1 billion on Halloween candy nationwide this year.

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Published on October 4, 2022

most popular halloween candy by state — Photo: Courtesy of CandyStore.com

October is officially here, which means many of us across the country have one thing on our minds: Halloween. While you still have plenty of time to plan out your costume, it's not too early to start stocking up on candy. Give trick-or-treaters their most spell-binding All Hallows' Eve yet by selecting a few crowd favorite snacks. To help, candystore.com put together a map (see above) and list of the most popular Halloween candy by state, so you can get a better understanding of what the little ghouls and goblins in your area are craving most.

To obtain their findings, the company looked at 15 years of Halloween candy sales nationwide to create its interactive map of each state's favorite haunting treat. After examining the data, researchers found that Reese's Cups reign supreme—the chocolate peanut butter treat took the top spot in five states, including California, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wyoming.

Following Reese's Cups is Skittles. The multi-colored, fruity candy is favored by residents in Alabama and Oklahoma and ranked as a handful of state's second and third choices. M&M's rounded out the top three, coming in first in Iowa, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

While the top three may not come as a surprise, there were a handful of underdogs that made their way onto the map. In fact, Hot Tamales ranked fifth as the most popular Halloween candy nationwide. The spiced treat came was a favorite in Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, and Virginia. Even more surprising? Salt water taffy was another top contender, with residents of Nebraska, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming all choosing the chewy treat as their second choice.

According to the report, 172 million Americans are expected to celebrate Halloween this year, and 95% of those participants plan to purchase candy for the annual event. Additionally, consumers are expected to spend a whopping $10.6 billion on Halloween this year, with candy making up $3.1 billion of total spending. Make sure none of it goes to waste by filling your basket with these top picks.