Guide Rankings Food Updated May 18, 2026

Favorite Candy by State

Map of the United States showing the favorite candy in each state, with Starburst leading in the most states

Favorite Candy by State

Ranking - Food

Quick Answer

Favorite Candy by State

  1. 1

    The favorite candy by state varies widely, but Starburst leads in more states than any other candy — 10 states, with ties in two more. Sour Patch Kids ranks second, topping the list in 8 states.

  2. 2

    Three candies each lead in 4 states: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Skittles, and Sour Punch Straws. Unique picks include Dubble Bubble in Kentucky, Salt Water Taffy in Delaware, and 3 Musketeers in Idaho.

Map

Favorite Candy by State Map

Each state shows its top-selling candy. States with ties list all tied candies. Colors group states by candy brand.
Favorite Candy by State Map
State Value
Alabama Starburst
Alaska Twix
Arizona Sour Punch Straws
Arkansas Skittles, Starburst
California Sour Punch Straws
Colorado Jolly Ranchers
Connecticut Starburst
Delaware Salt Water Taffy
Florida Starburst
Georgia Skittles
Hawaii Twix
Idaho 3 Musketeers
Illinois Starburst
Indiana Sour Patch Kids
Iowa Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Sour Patch Kids, Starburst
Kansas Candy Corn
Kentucky Dubble Bubble
Louisiana Sour Punch Straws
Maine Sour Patch Kids
Maryland Sour Patch Kids
Massachusetts Swedish Fish
Michigan Sour Patch Kids
Minnesota Snickers
Mississippi Butterfinger
Missouri Jolly Ranchers
Montana Life Savers
Nebraska Jolly Ranchers, Skittles
Nevada M&M's
New Hampshire Swedish Fish
New Jersey Sour Patch Kids
New Mexico Blow Pops, Hot Tamales
New York Kit Kat
North Carolina Starburst
North Dakota Tootsie Roll
Ohio Starburst
Oklahoma Lemonheads
Oregon Starburst
Pennsylvania Hershey's Kisses, Swedish Fish
Rhode Island Almond Joy
South Carolina Starburst
South Dakota Blow Pops, Milky Way, Snickers, Twix
Tennessee Starburst
Texas Sour Punch Straws
Utah Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Vermont Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Virginia Skittles, Sour Patch Kids
Washington Sour Patch Kids
West Virginia Life Savers
Wisconsin Starburst
Wyoming Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Each state shows its top-selling candy. States with ties list all tied candies. Colors group states by candy brand.

Favorite Candy by State Table

Download as PDF

Print-ready table — Favorite Candy by State

Which Candies Win the Most States?

Four Starburst candies with colorful wrappers placed beside them
Starburst leads more states than any other candy in the dataset, making it the broadest state-by-state favorite.

Starburst leads more states than any other candy in this dataset. It ranks first outright in 10 states, and it also appears in ties in Arkansas and Iowa. That gives it the widest overall footprint across the map.

Sour Patch Kids ranks second, leading in 8 states. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Skittles, and Sour Punch Straws each lead in 4 states. The result shows that a handful of big national candy brands dominate, even though no single candy comes close to winning everywhere.

Regional Candy Favorites and Unusual Picks

Three pieces of salt water taffy placed next to a quarter for scale
Salt Water Taffy is a distinctive regional favorite in Delaware, standing out from the national candy brands that dominate most states.

Some state favorites look national, but a few picks are strongly tied to local identity or regional taste. Delaware stands out with Salt Water Taffy, a candy closely associated with beach towns and boardwalk shops along the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Other states also break from the national pattern. Kentucky favors Dubble Bubble, Idaho picks 3 Musketeers, and Oklahoma goes with Lemonheads. These one-state winners make the map more varied than a simple list of the biggest candy brands.

Quick Answers

What is the favorite candy by state?
Favorite candy varies by state. Starburst leads in the most states — 10 states, with ties in Arkansas and Iowa. See the full table above for every state's top candy.
What is the most popular candy in the U.S.?
Starburst is the most popular candy across U.S. states, ranking first in more states than any other candy. Sour Patch Kids ranks second, leading in 8 states.
Which candy is favorite in the most states?
Starburst. It tops the candy rankings in 10 states outright and ties for first in Arkansas and Iowa — 12 total appearances in the data.
What is the most popular candy in each state?
See the full table above. Starburst leads across much of the South and Midwest. Sour Patch Kids leads in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Sour Punch Straws tops Arizona, California, Louisiana, and Texas. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups leads in Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Methodology

Data reflects annual candy sales rankings by state. Some states show a tie when two or more candies rank equally.

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