What Is the Most Popular Halloween Candy in America, By State?

CandyStore.com, an online candy store, reports that a staggering 96% of Halloween shoppers would purchase candy, with each purchase costing $31.93. 

Additionally, according to Statista, American consumers spent around 3.6 billion dollars on candy during the 2023 Halloween season, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels and represents a modest increase over 2022. 

Sales are up for the third year in a row.

So do you know what is the most popular Halloween candy in America? Keep scrolling to find out which are the most popular candies in each state!

What's the most popular Halloween candy?

Reese’s Cups

This iconic marriage of creamy peanut butter and rich milk chocolate is simple but delicious for both kids and adults. 

It has won the candy derby handily, taking home the title of most popular Halloween candy in a number of states, including highly populous ones like Massachusetts, California, and Pennsylvania. 

Reese's is the most popular candy brand in America with yearly sales of more than $2 billion.

Reese’s Cups

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the most popular Halloween candy in 18 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Kit Kat

Kit Kat managed to clinch second place nationally, as the breakable candy bar was selected as the best candy in nine states, half the number of states that named Reese's their favorite. 

This well-known wafer wrapped in chocolate is renowned for its catchy slogan, "Break me off a piece". 

Some claim that the name "kit-cat" derived from the 17th-century term “kit-cat,” which referred to a popular mutton pie at the time.

Kit Kat

Kit Kats are the top-selling Halloween candy in 9 states: Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Skittles

Skittles are a year-round favorite as well with various flavors available. The business Rowntree's invented those little fruit-flavored sweets in the 1970s in Britain. 

Despite the fact that the initial bags only came in five flavors—grape, lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry—these delicious snacks earned a lot of popularity when they were introduced in America in 1979. 

Skittles

Skittles was chosen as the best candy in 5 states: Arizona, Minnesota, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington.

M&M’s

That M&Ms are on this list should come as no surprise. The product's anthropomorphic mascots and button-shaped chocolates have made it iconic. 

Additionally, because its fun-size boxes are the ideal size for handouts, the brand is especially well-liked around Halloween.  

M&M’s

M&M’s claims the title of a popular type of candy on Halloween in 5 states: Colorado, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wyoming.

Snickers

Snickers, which made its debut in 1930, completes the list of the top 5 Halloween candy in the country.

Its peanut inclusion distinguished it from the plethora of other candy bars available on the market, providing consumers with an amazing candy experience that was salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy. 

Snickers

With 15 million bars produced every day and $3.6 billion in global sales, it is currently one of the best-selling candy bars worldwide!

Snickers are the most preferred Halloween candy in 4 states: Alaska, Idaho, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

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Additional Popular Halloween Candy in Every State 

Apart from the five sweets listed before, there are other options that are also highly favored by American customers. They include:

• Starburst: Starburst is similar to Skittles in that it provides a range of tastes in different colors, and it comes in compact packs that are easy to hand out for trick-or-treating. Three states—Delaware, Michigan, and Texas—have declared their favorite Halloween candy to be Starbursts.

What is the most popular candy for Halloween?

• Milky Way: One of the most cherished classic candy bars among candy enthusiasts is Milky Way. Three states—Florida, Maryland, and Nebraska—have Milky Way bars as their most popular Halloween candy.

• Hot Tamales: They stood out from other popular candies of the era thanks to their unique blend of sweetness and spice, and throughout time, they have added more varieties and limited-edition tastes. In Vermont and Montana, hot tamales are the most beloved Halloween candy.