The states that really, really love – and really, really hate – candy corn

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Published  October 22, 2025 2:19pm EDT
FOX Local
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History of candy corn

The tri-colored confection has been around for over 100 years.

The Brief

    • Instacart data shows stark regional differences in candy corn popularity, with Mississippi leading at 92% above the national average and Hawaii trailing at 55% below.
    • States like Nebraska, Kentucky and Kansas also showed strong preferences, while states like Florida, California, and New York ranked among the lowest.
    • Market leader Brach’s produces around 30 million pounds of candy corn each fall – generating $75 million in sales.

The great Halloween debate over candy corn is on, with some states adoring the classic tricolored kernel treat and others despising its flavor. 

Instacart calculated the share of candy orders that contained candy corn purchased on the Instacart platform in the month of October to figure out which states love it or loathe it.

Candy corn most popular in Mississippi, Nebraska

By the numbers:

During October, candy corn consistently made up 2–3% of all candy orders on Instacart, according to the data.

The biggest fans were found in Mississippi, which topped the list, ordering candy corn 92% more often than the national average. 

Nebraska wasn’t far behind at 91%, and Kentucky rounded out the top three at 77%.

Candy Corn photographed in Washington, DC on October 9, 2018. (Credit: Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post via Getty Images; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post via Getty Images).

In contrast, Hawaii ordered candy corn 55% less often than average, followed by Washington, D.C. (-50%) and Florida (-43%). 

What they're saying:

"Candy Corn is the ultimate Halloween wildcard," said Alex Orellana, a trends analyst at Instacart. "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."

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From 1985: How they used to make candy corn

In this archived KTVU report, Elaine Corral takes a look inside the Herman Goelitz factory in Oakland, where they've been making candy corn for decades. Originally aired October 28, 1985.

States with largest candy corn cravings

  1. Mississippi (92.3%)
  2. Nebraska (91.2%)
  3. Kentucky (76.8%)
  4. Iowa (72.8%)
  5. Kansas (70.5%)
  6. South Dakota (70.2%)
  7. Arkansas (52.6%)
  8. Indiana (42.8%)
  9. Ohio (40.4%)
  10. Wyoming (33.9%)

States with lowest candy corn cravings

  1. Hawaii (-55.3%)
  2. Washington D.C. (-49.5%)
  3. Florida (-42.7%)
  4. California (-32.9%)
  5. New Mexico (-27.6%)
  6. Nevada (-21%)
  7. New Jersey (-20.4%)
  8. Montana (-19.4%)
  9. New  York (-14.6%)
  10. Massachusetts (-12.7%)

See the full report here.

Here's the most popular Halloween candy in your state

From Reese’s to M&M’s to Sour Patch Kids, here’s the most popular Halloween candy where you live.

Candy corn sales

Big picture view:

Love it or loathe it, market leader Brach's churns out roughly 30 million pounds of candy corn for the fall season each year, or enough to circle planet Earth about five times, the company said.

RELATED: A brief history of loving (and hating) candy corn

Last year, that amounted to $75 million of $88.5 million in candy corn sales, according to the consumer research firm Circana.

The Source: The information for this story was provided by Instacart, which compared company sales data for candy corn against the national average. The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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