The State of Sweet: Which State Has The Sweetest Tooth?

Just because we’re not trick-or-treating this year doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our favorite Halloween candies! Here are the treats beloved by Americans, State by State.

Barring a medical miracle this month, it looks like Americans will have to seriously alter their normal Halloween routines thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But while there probably won’t be much trick-or-treating this year, look on the bright side: that’s more candy for you! Why not curl up on the couch and enjoy some of it while watching your favorite scary movie?

Watching horror films and eating sweet treats are two of the Halloween traditions we can practice without breaking safe social distancing. To that end, Ranker took a look at how our readers voted on our lists of The Best Halloween Candy Ever (which has 105,700 votes from 5,600 voters) and The Best Horror Movie Franchises list (122,600 votes from 8,100 voters) to predict how people will be celebrating this holiday during quarantine. Here’s what they found:

It’s hard to get Americans to agree about anything these days, but while states differ on which candy is the very best, almost all of them believe it’s either Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twix bars, or Kit Kats. Even though M&Ms are #3 overall on the list, only Tennessee and New Jersey vote the classic candy above all others on the list. Kit Kat is the #4 pick overall, but the top choice for Ranker voters in 11 states, including densely populated states like California and New York. 

But while these Big Three candies clearly dominate the map, a closer look reveals some interesting outliers. For example, Caramel Apple Pops, a lollipop brand approved by only 49% of voters overall, is the most popular Halloween candy in Oregon. Meanwhile, the itty-bitty Wonka confection Nerds is preferred not just by Louisianians, but by voters in neighboring Mississippi as well. Clearly, this candy is a hit among voters in the Deep South (as well as those in Rhode Island). Ranker also notes that Pennsylvania voters believe Reese’s Pumpkins are superior to both regular Reese’s Cups and to all other Halloween candies. 

Hawaii has a question mark over it because not enough people in the state weighed in to give us a valid answer. It seems as though the Aloha State, unlike the rest of the country, is ambivalent about Halloween candy.

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While this Halloween will likely look a lot different than the ones we’ve celebrated in previous years, we can still have fun (and scare ourselves silly) while preventing the spread of COVID-19. However you’re choosing to spend your holiday, Ranker encourages you to celebrate safely!