America’s Favorite Halloween Candy Might Surprise You—See What's Flying Off the Shelves

Spooky season seems to creep up earlier and earlier each year, with people unpacking Halloween decorations and stockpiling candy before summer is even over.

From sweet treats to spooky décor, a recent report from Instacart shows that October is one of the most festive times of the year for its customers. And not surprisingly, Halloween is a big day for candy purchases. On October 31 of last year, the share of orders with candy was 100 percent higher than the yearly average. Here, we share all about which candy people are reaching for around the U.S., and where the highest cravings are.

10 Most Popular Halloween Candies

The top 10 most popular candies in the U.S. feature chocolate in the lead, with sweet and sour varieties also ranking high.

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
2. Peanut M&M’s
3. M&M’s
4. Kit Kat
5. Snickers
6. Sour Patch Kids
7. Hershey's Milk Chocolate
8. Milky Way
9. Twix
10. HARIBO Goldbears

While Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups prevailed across the board, some candies seemed to be more popular in some states than in others. For example, controversial candy corn found its biggest fans in the Midwest and South, with Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Nebraska stocking up far more often than the rest of the country.

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According to the report, Utah was the state with the biggest sweet tooth overall, buying candy 50 percent more often than the national average in October 2024. The Mountain West and Midwest dominated the leaderboard, with Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, and Nebraska rounding out the top five buyers. On the flip side, states like Hawaii, Florida, and California purchased candy at rates well below the national average.

The Candy Corn Craze

In October, candy corn makes up 2 to 3 percent of all candy orders on the platform, which has been the pattern since 2017, according to Instacart. The data showed that residents in some states love it, while others can leave it. Mississippi orders candy corn 92 percent more often than the national average, with Nebraska and Kentucky rounding out the top three. Hawaii, on the other hand, ordered candy corn 55 percent less often than average, followed by Washington, D.C., and Florida.

“Candy corn is the ultimate Halloween wildcard,” Alex Orellana, trends analyst at Instacart, said in a statement. “In some states, it’s a nostalgic must-have that people eagerly stock up on, while in others, it’s the first candy left behind in the bowl. That split is what makes candy corn so fascinating: it’s not just a treat, it’s a tradition that people either love to celebrate or love to debate.”