Which State Eats the Most Candy Corn?
See where your state stands on the love-it-or-hate-it Halloween treat.
Henry Horenstein/Getty
Candy Corn is a weirdly divisive treat. I, personally, am solidly on Team Candy Corn and can consume an impressive amount of it — nibbling off each color: white tip, then orange middle, then corn-like yellow nub — when no one is looking. But not everyone is a fan of the tricolor Halloween confection. And as with ranch dressing and pineapple on pizza, those opposed are very opposed. The debate rages. This we know.
Top candy corn producer Brach’s knows this, too, apparently. The company has examined U.S. candy corn sales of its Classic Candy Corn and Autumn Mix (a medley that includes Brach’s Classic Candy Corn, Harvest Corn and Mellowcreme Pumpkins) to ascertain which states love the iconic yet contentious Halloween treat the most and which states, uh, not so much. Candy-corn-color-coded map included.
So which state is the biggest consumer of candy corn? Drumroll please …
California! Yes, the Golden State has lived up to its nickname. Its residents consume more of the orange, yellow and white confection than any other state.
To be fair, it is a big state, and so is the state that comes in second in the eats-the-most-candy-corn lineup: Texas!
Florida, in third place, takes the proverbial bronze.
Rounding out the top 20, in order of candy corn consumption from most to least are:
4. New York
5. Michigan
6. Illinois
7. Pennsylvania
8. North Carolina
9. Georgia
10. Indiana
11. Iowa
12. Kansas
13. Louisiana
14. Maryland
15. Massachusetts
16. Arizona
17. Minnesota
18. Mississippi
19. Kentucky
20. Washington
Image courtesy of Brach's Candy
So now those of us who are on Team Candy Corn know where the friendly territory is.
On the other hand, Brach’s has also tipped us off to five states “where residents may not have joined ‘Team Candy Corn’ quite yet.” We imagine those are maybe the states where candy corn sales are the lowest?
Those states are:
1. Alabama
2. Hawaii
3. Nebraska
4. Vermont
5. Wisconsin
“Candy corn has been a Halloween staple for more than half a century,” Mariah Havens, director of seasonal marketing at Ferrara, Brach’s parent company, said in a news release. “But we also know that candy corn is one of the most divisive seasonal treats and there are some people who don't enjoy it (I'm looking at you, Nebraskans and Wisconsinites).”
For those in the pro-candy corn camp — and maybe for those looking for a different trick-or-treat candy option — Brach’s is also introducing a new candy corn-inspired sweet for the 2021 Halloween season: NERDS Candy Corn, which the company describes as “candy-coated shells wrapped around soft and chewy NERDS fruity centers” in a variety of flavors.
Always good to have options. But when it comes to candy corn, we're happy to stick with the classic.
Related Content:
Want to Try the Dalgona Candy Challenge Going Viral on TikTok? We've Got a Recipe
