The map above reveals the results of our latest candy research: the top 3 most popular Christmas candies in each state. Hover over your state (non-mobile only) to see the goods.
It may not seem like Christmas is all about candy, because obviously there is so much more to the holidays. But there is also a lot of candy happening. Think about all the baking and decorating and making fun crafts with kids that happens in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Do you hang candy canes from your tree? Maybe you get candy bars in your stocking? Or decorate snowman cookies with sprinkles and peppermint candy? Ok well, a lot of people do, ya know. :) And it all adds up.
So which Christmas candy do people like the most? It varies by state.
Since we’re an online bulk candy store, we reached out to CandyStore.com customers to find that out. We got over 23,000 responses this year. We also checked in with our friendly major candy manufacturers and distributors to be sure our survey corresponded with their seasonal observations.
You might be surprised by the results, illustrated above in the interactive candy map. Key takeaways, below, but first a look at the bigger picture.
Industry Pulse
If Holiday candy sees a trend anything like what we saw at Halloween, it could be a big year for Christmas goodies. The spooky season saw an increase of 48%+ on candy sales according to the NCA. Could we do that again for the winter holidays?
That may sound high, but people are feeling spendy this year. Consumer spending is up nearly 15% YoY for the first nine months of 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. They also predict that overall holiday sales will hit the $850 billion range, up 8.5-10.5%, which would be the largest increase on record. Online sales are predicted to increase anywhere from 11-15%. All of this will be fueled by “strong growth in income and stockpiled savings,” according to NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.
So, it should be a good one. Everyone supposedly has money to spend and enjoy a bountiful and abundant holiday season!
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And now on to the results of our interactive map. Here are a few interesting insights we can gather.
Peppermint Bark Madness
Holy Peppermint Bark! It gained traction last year and really hit its stride this year. Look at all those states in the middle. They’re all peppermint bark! What is Middle America doing with all that peppermint bark?
Nationwide, the bark picked up 3 new #1 spots totaling 14 now. That kind of dominance has not been seen in the decade plus we’ve been following these trends. The peppermint bark lobby must be very well funded.
Reese’s Cups Keep Declining
Reese’s Cups lost another three #1 spots this year, down 6 over the last two years.
Hold up. There must be some kind of mistake here. Reese’s Cups are the divine candy of the Gods with zero flaws and only amazing chocolate and peanut butter combination along with perfect texture and soft snap. How could it be that they are becoming increasingly less popular?! I blame the bark lobby.
I can only give you the numbers. One of the spots they lost was to the hard charging popularity of peppermint bark (Minnesota), and another was lost to Hershey Kisses (Arizona).
Don’t worry. It doesn’t necessarily mean people love Reese’s any less, just that it’s not the only star of the show anymore. It’s definitely still ok to love Reese’s Cups. I can’t believe I even need to write that.
Reindeer Corn Declining
Michiganders can finally stop emailing us about candy corn. In a state where candy corn has lead both Halloween and Christmas favorites for years, this year is finally different. Michigan has joined the rest of the Big Ten states on the peppermint bark band wagon.
But the corn is in decline across the country, losing key candy corn states of Delaware, New Hampshire and Rhode Island as well.
Could this be the beginning of candy corn’s swan song into the twilight of candy history? Some people who think it’s one of the worst candies might be happy about that.
Which Christmas holiday candy does your state loves the most? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
State By State
| State | Top Holiday Candy | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Hershey Kisses | Candy Canes | Reese's Pieces |
| AL | Reindeer Corn | Candy Canes | Peppermint Bark |
| AR | Starburst | Snickers | Peppermint Bark |
| AZ | Hershey Kisses | Reese's Cup Minis | Skittles |
| CA | Peppermint Bark | Hershey Kisses | Reese's Cup Minis |
| CO | Candy Canes | Hershey Kisses | Reese's Pieces |
| CT | Starburst | Reindeer Corn | Candy Canes |
| DC | Snickers | Candy Canes | M&M's |
| DE | Starburst | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn |
| FL | Skittles | Snickers | M&M's |
| GA | Snickers | Reindeer Corn | Candy Canes |
| HI | Starburst | Hershey Kisses | Reindeer Corn |
| IA | Peppermint Bark | Reese's Cup Minis | M&M's |
| ID | M&M's | Hershey Kisses | Chocolate Santas |
| IL | Peppermint Bark | Hershey Kisses | M&M's |
| IN | Reese's Cup Minis | Hershey Kisses | Candy Canes |
| KS | Peppermint Bark | Hershey Kisses | Candy Canes |
| KY | M&M's | Peppermint Bark | Reese's Cup Minis |
| LA | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn | Pez |
| MA | Candy Canes | Hershey Kisses | Reese's Cup Minis |
| MD | Reese's Cup Minis | Candy Canes | Reese's Pieces |
| ME | Chocolate Santas | Hershey Kisses | Candy Canes |
| MI | Peppermint Bark | Reindeer Corn | Reese's Cup Minis |
| MN | Peppermint Bark | Hershey Kisses | Reese's Cup Minis |
| MO | Peppermint Bark | Hershey Kisses | Starburst |
| MS | Chocolate Santas | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn |
| MT | Reese's Pieces | Reindeer Corn | Reese's Cup Minis |
| NC | Starburst | Snickers | Reindeer Corn |
| ND | Chocolate Santas | Reindeer Corn | Reese's Cup Minis |
| NE | Peppermint Bark | M&M's | Hershey Kisses |
| NH | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn | Reese's Cup Minis |
| NJ | Skittles | Reese's Cup Minis | Pez |
| NM | Chocolate Santas | Pez | Candy Canes |
| NV | Peppermint Bark | Candy Canes | Starburst |
| NY | Candy Canes | Snickers | Reese's Cup Minis |
| OH | Chocolate Santas | Hershey Kisses | Peppermint Bark |
| OK | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn | Skittles |
| OR | Reese's Cup Minis | Candy Canes | Snickers |
| PA | Reese's Cup Minis | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn |
| RI | Peppermint Bark | Reindeer Corn | M&M's |
| SC | M&M's | Peppermint Bark | Pez |
| SD | Chocolate Santas | Hershey Kisses | Peppermint Bark |
| TN | Peppermint Bark | Candy Canes | Chocolate Santas |
| TX | Peppermint Bark | Reese's Cup Minis | Candy Canes |
| UT | Hershey Kisses | Reindeer Corn | M&M's |
| VA | M&M's | Candy Canes | Reindeer Corn |
| VT | Snickers | Candy Canes | Chocolate Santas |
| WA | Reese's Cup Minis | Candy Canes | Skittles |
| WI | Peppermint Bark | Reindeer Corn | Starburst |
| WV | Peppermint Bark | Pez | Jolly Rancher |
| WY | M&M's | Chocolate Santas | Peppermint Bark |
Does the list above match with what you like or your loved ones would like to receive as a gift?
If you get the wrong thing, just remember that – really – the holiday season is about family and friends. It’s the thought that counts, the gesture that matters. Unless you give me reindeer corn, in which case we are no longer friends.
Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!
For more info or press inquiries contact Ben at: ben@candystore.com
I realize these lists are just for fun but this story is beyond ridiculous. Pez as the #1 Christmas candy in ANY state? In what alternate universe? Ditto Jolly Rancher. Your methodology is flawed, to say the least. I ordered candy for a Chicago based drug store chain that sold a ton of candy at Christmastime for many years and Pez and Jolly Rancher were never a part of the Christmas mix of candy, save a few Pez sets that never sold until they hit the deep discount table after Christmas. Your results for Illinois are way off the mark. Candy canes, Kisses, cheap chocolate covered cherries, thin mints-we sold cases and cases of those and I still see huge stacks of them at Christmas time in Illinois stores. Jolly Rancher indeed!
I’m in Utah. I never knew raindeer corn was a thing until I read this. Eww! How funny and strange. I’ll take minty-choclolatey or nutty-chocolatey any day, but especially at Christmas!
I can honestly say I have never heard of reindeer corn and I have lived in Alabama all my life!
What about Jimmy crack corn? :)