Every home aspires to be the popular one, the one that attracts a line of trick-or-treaters waiting to get their hands on the sweets kept inside. Not a regular house, a cool house. 

Candy is perhaps the most important element for a successful Halloween (aside from an amazing costume, of course) as trick or treating is a staple of American tradition. As a matter of fact, more than half of Americans value sweets above costumes when it comes to Halloween. For Halloween last year, consumers were expected to spend an eye-watering $3 billion, as the National Retail Federation reported.

October is almost here, seemingly out of nowhere. This time of year, the seasonal sections of stores are both exciting and bewildering. All the shelves are stocked with spooky trinkets, and the walls are covered with costumes. 

Then, of course, there's the section with all the sweets. What are the hungry trick-or-treaters hoping to get out of all this candy? Some would definitely say not Circus Peanuts!

For Halloween, it's generally best to have a list, or better yet, an interactive map of the most sought-after sweets. Find out which is the most popular candy in each state every Halloween and learn some more mouthwatering facts and figures below.

Where We Found The Data

Candy Store

Reese's Cups was the nation's favorite Halloween treat for 2021, according to sales data gathered by Candystore.com, a bulk candy supplier that has been satisfying Americans' sweet cravings since 2007. The next four are Hot Tamales, Starburst, M&M's, and Skittles. By analyzing 14 years of sales data on the number of pounds of each sweet sold, Candystore came up with the findings. They achieved these results through their connections with major candy manufacturers and distributors.

Californians and North Carolinians enjoy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, whereas New Yorkers prefer Sour Patch Kids; Texans prefer Starburst; Illinoisans choose Sour Patch Kids; Pennsylvanians prefer Hershey's Miniature Bars, and so on.

In the United States, chocolate is the most popular sweet. Bubble gum is a big deal in Montana.

Influenster

People around the country talked about the Halloween goodies unveiled by Influenster, the go-to site for product evaluations. Influenster has access to a plethora of insights and data thanks to the roughly six million users who have contributed 40 million product evaluations between them. This allowed them to gauge what intelligent consumers were purchasing. Based on an analysis of over a million reviews, their infographic looks at the top-rated sweets, from Crunch Bars and Mounds to M&Ms and Skittles, Kit-Kats and Sour Patch Kids.

Instacart

Popular Halloween candy sales peak on the 31st of October, with Instacart reporting that 43% of all candy orders in October are made during the month's final week. If you need some candy quickly, Instacart promises they can have it to you in as little as 30 minutes.

Washington, Montana, Alaska, Idaho, and Utah buy the most sweets, while Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Florida, and North Carolina are among the lowest.

The Midwest is where you'll find the most Twizzler aficionados, whereas the West Coast is where you'll find the most Red Vines enthusiasts.

There is still a market for candy corn, despite its mixed reviews: either you're crazy about it or you can't stand it. Candy corn is still a top 10 candy despite its popularity decline. 

The states of the Western Hemisphere have a fervent need for sweets. According to a recent survey conducted by Instacart, Western Instacart users are more likely to buy Halloween sweets than Eastern users.

Google Data

Proxi used data from Google Search to see where candy mania was strongest throughout the country.

Just trust Google to let us in on everyone's Halloween search trends. The search engine recently revealed a plethora of search data relating to the approaching holiday, including popular recipes by state, favorite Halloween candy by state, and beverages specifically requested for Halloween.  

We want to congratulate North Dakota for realizing the excellence of Whoppers malted milk balls. What's the most desired treat in the Golden State? Jolly Ranchers. 

Hawaii is the only state in the country that believes Crunch bars are the best Halloween treat. Tennessee is the answer if you've ever wondered who genuinely likes Runts. Starburst was the most popular Halloween candy in the United States and continues to be so in Louisiana. Oklahoma consumes all the Circus Peanuts.

And lastly, black licorice is the Halloween treat that Colorado people like, while West Virginians stick to tradition by searching for candy corn.