The Most Popular Halloween Candy in Every U.S. State

It's officially the sweetest time of year as popular candies like Twizzlers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and M&M's take over store shelves in preparation for Halloween. But according to a survey conducted by grocery delivery service Instacart, not all candy is loved equally across the country.

As it turns out, there's power in classics. The most popular candies in America in 2020 were Peanut M&M's and M&M's, the company shared with Travel + Leisure, accounting for more candy sold by weight on the site. Those picks were followed by Reese's, Hershey's, and (the sometimes controversial) Twizzlers. Candy corn, another contentious candy, came in at No. 8 on the list with people from Mississippi the most likely to buy it.

"As soon as October kicks off, we start to see an increase in folks adding Halloween candy to their orders as a way to get in the spirit for All Hallows' Eve," Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's trends expert, told T+L. "There's a nostalgic element about trick-or-treat candy that brings you back to being a kid and enjoying the simple pleasures in life, which is perhaps one reason candy on Halloween is paramount!"

In fact, more than half of Americans think candy is more important on Halloween than the actual costumes themselves, according to the September survey, in which 2,000 people participated.

According to Instacart, 43% of all candy purchases in October are placed during the last week of the month, and Oct. 31 is actually the peak day for buying Halloween candy (the company says they can deliver the sweet treats as fast as 30 minutes for any last-minute candy needs).

When it comes to having a sweet tooth, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Washington purchased the most candy, the site told T+L. While North Carolina, Florida, New York, Iowa, and Connecticut bought the least amount of candy for Halloween.

Of course, candy cravings aren't just for kids: 53% of parents with kids under 18 said they would absolutely or probably sneak some of the kiddos' candy haul.

These are the most popular candies in each state, according to Instacart:

• Alabama: Starburst
• Alaska: Red Vines
• Arizona: Red Vines
• Arkansas: Candy Corn
• California: Red Vines
• Colorado: Candy Corn
• Connecticut: Twizzlers
• Delaware: Swedish Fish
• Florida: YORK Peppermint Patty
• Georgia: Starburst
• Hawaii: Red Vines
• Idaho: Red Vines
• Illinois: Twizzlers
• Indiana: Twizzlers
• Iowa: Twizzlers
• Kansas: Candy Corn
• Kentucky: Candy Corn
• Louisiana: Life Savers
• Maine: Swedish Fish
• Maryland: Twizzlers
• Massachusetts: Swedish Fish
• Michigan: Twizzlers
• Minnesota: Twizzlers
• Mississippi: Candy Corn
• Missouri: Twizzlers
• Montana: Red Vines
• Nebraska: M&M's
• Nevada: Red Vines
• New Hampshire: Swedish Fish
• New Jersey: Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut Chocolates
• New Mexico: Werther's Original
• New York: Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut Chocolates
• North Carolina: Candy Corn
• North Dakota: Twizzlers
• Ohio: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• Oklahoma: Snickers
• Oregon: Red Vines
• Pennsylvania: Swedish Fish
• Rhode Island: Swedish Fish
• South Carolina: Life Savers
• South Dakota: Skittles
• Tennessee: Candy Corn
• Texas: Sour Patch Kids
• Utah: Swedish Fish
• Vermont: YORK Peppermint Patty
• Virginia: Candy Corn
• Washington: Red Vines
• Washington, D.C.: Lindt Truffles
• West Virginia: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• Wisconsin: Twizzlers
• Wyoming: Red Vines

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.