What’s Each State’s Standout Halloween Candy?
Key Takeaways
- Montana’s share of HI-CHEW purchases was 616% above the national average, the largest outlier in Instacart’s analysis.
- Regional patterns emerge, with HI-CHEW standing out in the Northwest and Skittles across several Southern states.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are America’s best-selling candy on Instacart, ranking first in 40 states.
From chocolate classics to fruity favorites, Americans have plenty of options when stocking up on Halloween candy.
But which treats stand out most in your state?
This visualization uses October 2025 purchase data from Instacart’s 2026 Halloween Sweet Tooth Report to identify each state’s standout candy.
Rather than showing the best-selling candy in each state, the map highlights candies purchased at unusually high rates relative to their national share of candy sales on Instacart.
Which Halloween Candy Stands Out in Each State?
Some clear regional patterns emerge from the map. Sour Patch Kids stand out across several Northeastern states, while Skittles appear in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Georgia.
Meanwhile, HI-CHEW is particularly prominent in the Northwest, appearing in Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Colorado and Wyoming share an affinity for candy corn, while California stands out for HARIBO Goldbears.
The table below shows each state’s standout candy, based on its share of ounces sold through Instacart compared with the national share.
| State | Standout candy |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Tootsie Pops |
| Alaska | HI-CHEW |
| Arizona | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Arkansas | Skittles |
| California | HARIBO Goldbears |
| Colorado | Candy Corn |
| Connecticut | Sour Patch Kids |
| DC | HARIBO Goldbears |
| Delaware | Tootsie Pops |
| Florida | Sour Patch Kids |
| Georgia | Skittles |
| Hawaii | HARIBO Goldbears |
| Idaho | Peanut M&M’s |
| Illinois | Kit Kat |
| Indiana | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Iowa | M&M’s |
| Kansas | Snickers |
| Kentucky | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Louisiana | Tootsie Pops |
| Maine | Sour Patch Kids |
| Maryland | Twizzlers |
| Massachusetts | Sour Patch Kids |
| Michigan | Tootsie Pops |
| Minnesota | Peanut M&M’s |
| Mississippi | Snickers |
| Missouri | Twizzlers |
| Montana | HI-CHEW |
| Nebraska | Peanut M&M’s |
| Nevada | Tootsie Rolls |
| New Hampshire | M&M’s |
| New Jersey | Swedish Fish |
| New Mexico | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| New York | Sour Patch Kids |
| North Carolina | Hershey’s Milk Chocolate |
| North Dakota | Twizzlers |
| Ohio | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Oklahoma | Skittles |
| Oregon | HI-CHEW |
| Pennsylvania | Swedish Fish |
| Rhode Island | Sour Patch Kids |
| South Carolina | Tootsie Pops |
| South Dakota | Peanut M&M’s |
| Tennessee | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Texas | Skittles |
| Utah | Peanut M&M’s |
| Vermont | M&M’s |
| Virginia | Hershey’s Milk Chocolate |
| Washington | HI-CHEW |
| West Virginia | Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups |
| Wisconsin | Twizzlers |
| Wyoming | Candy Corn |
These results don’t necessarily identify each state’s most popular candy overall. Instead, they highlight candies that shoppers purchase disproportionately more of in certain states than across the country.
Montana’s Unusual Taste for HI-CHEW
Of all the state-candy combinations in Instacart’s analysis, Montana’s affinity for HI-CHEW was the biggest outlier.
The chewy Japanese candy accounted for a share of purchases 616% above the national average, making it the most distinctive state-candy pairing in the analysis.
That means HI-CHEW’s share was more than seven times its national share on Instacart, not that Montanans bought seven times as much candy overall.
Other states also showed strong preferences for particular sweets. Louisiana’s share of Tootsie Pops purchases was 141% above the national average, while Rhode Island’s Sour Patch Kids share was 109% higher.
These differences help explain why a map of distinctive regional preferences looks so different from a straightforward ranking of best-selling candy brands.
Reese’s Still Dominates America’s Candy Sales
Despite the variety shown on the map, one candy remains the clear national leader.
According to Instacart, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ranked first by ounces sold in October 2025 and were the best-selling candy in 40 states. Peanut M&M’s ranked second nationally, followed by Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, regular M&M’s, and Snickers.
Chocolate candies occupied the top six positions in Instacart’s national ranking. Sour Patch Kids were the first non-chocolate candy to appear, in seventh place.
Rhode Island was a notable exception to Reese’s dominance. It was the only state where Sour Patch Kids outsold both Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut M&M’s.
Which States Buy the Most Halloween Candy?
Beyond which candies stand out, Instacart’s data also reveals where Halloween candy accounts for an unusually large share of purchases.
Western states led this measure, while several Northeastern states recorded some of the lowest relative candy purchasing rates.
Utah topped the country, with its candy purchasing share 67% above the national average. Idaho followed at 50%, while Alaska came third at 47%. Washington and Montana rounded out the top five, at 43% and 40%, respectively.
At the other end of the spectrum, Delaware’s candy purchasing share was 18% below the national average, followed by Pennsylvania at 16% below and New York at 15% below.
Regional candy preferences also change with the holiday, as shown in our state-by-state Valentine’s Day candy map.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this visualization, check out America’s Most Popular Ice Cream Brands on the Voronoi app.