(NEXSTAR) – Are you hoping the neighborhood mischief-makers won’t “T.P.” your house on Halloween? Then maybe you should hand out the candies they actually like.
CandyStore.com, an online candy retailer specializing in wholesale and bulk orders, has sought to determine the “most popular” Halloween candies in the country based on the last 17 years of sales data (specifically sales per pound) from the months leading up to Halloween. The retailer also breaks down the results by state, to give a better understanding of the crowd-pleasing candies that even the most hardened Halloween hooligans would likely love.
“We’ve gathered the data to ensure you’re stocked with the most sought-after sweets,” Ben George, the marketing director of CandyStore.com, wrote in a blog post published earlier this month.
On a national level, there’s been somewhat of a shakeup in terms of our country’s candy preferences, at least when compared to previous years. The latest tallies suggest that M&M’s have overtaken Reese’s Cups as the nation’s preferred Halloween candy — overall — for the first time since the retailer has been keeping track.
“It seems the classic, colorful candy has finally taken the crown, possibly thanks to its endless flavor varieties and easy-to-eat nature,” George wrote.
The 10 “most popular” Halloween candies in America, according to CandyStore.com:
- M&M’s
- Reese’s Cups
- Sour Patch Kids
- Skittles
- Starburst
- Hot Tamales
- Candy Corn
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Hershey’s Mini Bars
- Butterfinger
The state-by-state data paints a slightly different picture when it comes to regional preferences. The nation’s overall favorites are still well-represented, of course, but some states seem to buck the trends in favor of candies that didn’t make the country’s top 10.
The “most popular” Halloween candies by state, according to CandyStore.com:
| State | Top Candy | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| Alabama | Skittles | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Starburst |
| Alaska | Sour Patch Kids | Twix | Milky Way |
| Arkansas | Butterfinger | Jolly Ranchers | M&M’s |
| Arizona | Hershey Kisses | Sour Patch Kids | M&M’s |
| California | M&M’s | Reese’s Cups | Skittles |
| Colorado | Hershey Kisses | Milky Way | Twix |
| Connecticut | Almond Joy | Milky Way | M&M’s |
| Delaware | Sour Patch Kids | Skittles | Life Savers |
| Washington, D.C. | M&M’s | Tootsie Pops | Blow Pops |
| Florida | Reese’s Cups | Skittles | Hot Tamales |
| Georgia | Jolly Ranchers | Swedish Fish | Reese’s Cups |
| Hawaii | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Butterfinger | Skittles |
| Idaho | Snickers | Starburst | Candy Corn |
| Illinois | Sour Patch Kids | Kit Kat | Starburst |
| Indiana | Starburst | Hot Tamales | Jolly Ranchers |
| Iowa | M&M’s | Reese’s Cups | Hershey’s Mini Bars |
| Kansas | M&M’s | Sour Patch Kids | Reese’s Cups |
| Kentucky | Reese’s Cups | Hot Tamales | Swedish Fish |
| Louisiana | Lemonheads | Reese’s Cups | Salt Water Taffy |
| Maine | Sour Patch Kids | Candy Corn | Life Savers |
| Maryland | Candy Corn | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Hershey Kisses |
| Massachusetts | Butterfinger | Sour Patch Kids | Dubble Bubble Gum |
| Michigan | Starburst | Candy Corn | Butterfinger |
| Minnesota | Hot Tamales | Tootsie Pops | Skittles |
| Mississippi | 3 Musketeers | Snickers | Butterfinger |
| Missouri | Almond Joy | Milky Way | Hot Tamales |
| Montana | Twix | M&M’s | Dubble Bubble Gum |
| Nebraska | Sour Patch Kids | Salt Water Taffy | Twix |
| Nevada | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Hot Tamales | Candy Corn |
| New Hampshire | Reese’s Cups | M&M’s | Almond Joy |
| New Jersey | Tootsie Pops | M&M’s | Skittles |
| New Mexico | Hot Tamales | Candy Corn | Hershey’s Mini Bars |
| New York | Sour Patch Kids | Hot Tamales | Candy Corn |
| North Carolina | M&M’s | Reese’s Cups | Hershey’s Mini Bars |
| North Dakota | Hot Tamales | Candy Corn | Jolly Ranchers |
| Ohio | Blow Pops | M&M’s | Starburst |
| Oklahoma | Butterfinger | Dubble Bubble Gum | Skittles |
| Oregon | M&M’s | Reese’s Cups | Candy Corn |
| Pennsylvania | M&M’s | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Skittles |
| Rhode Island | Hershey’s Mini Bars | M&M’s | Dubble Bubble Gum |
| South Carolina | Butterfinger | Sour Patch Kids | Skittles |
| South Dakota | Jolly Ranchers | Starburst | Candy Corn |
| Tennessee | Snickers | Tootsie Pops | Skittles |
| Texas | Sour Patch Kids | Reese’s Cups | Starburst |
| Utah | Candy Corn | Tootsie Pops | M&M’s |
| Vermont | M&M’s | Skittles | Milky Way |
| Virginia | Butterfinger | M&M’s | Hot Tamales |
| Washington | M&M’s | Salt Water Taffy | Tootsie Pops |
| West Virginia | Hershey’s Mini Bars | Blow Pops | Almond Joy |
| Wisconsin | Butterfinger | Hot Tamales | Starburst |
| Wyoming | Reese’s Cups | Salt Water Taffy | Dubble Bubble Gum |
Another interesting tidbit for 2024: Due to rising prices for cocoa, some retailers are expecting to sell more gummy candies or fruity sweets rather than chocolatey ones, Reuters reported.
Despite this, there will likely be plenty of candy to go around. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend $3.5 billion on Halloween candy this year — which is only a slight dip from the $3.6 billion spent in 2023.
More information, including an interactive map and additional statistics, can be found at CandyStore.com. Additional information on any recent upticks in TP sales in your neighborhood, meanwhile, may be available by contacting your local grocer.
