The Most Popular Valentine's Candies By State In 2024
This state-by-state map of the most purchased Valentine's candy shows what we can't get enough of.
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are projected to spend more on Valentine's Day candy in 2024 than Valentine's cards, bouquets, dinner, or jewelry. And that makes perfect sense, since single people can enjoy seasonal chocolates and conversation hearts just as much as coupled-up folks. Which treats are we buying the most this year? CandyStore.com has just released its annual map of America's favorite Valentine's Day candies by state, and it seems as though old (spending) habits die hard.
The CandyStore.com data is compiled using 16 years' worth of bulk candy sales data. Not only is bulk candy the biggest source of business from which the website can draw, but the retailer confirmed to The Takeout in 2022 that because different candies can sit at different price points (especially chocolate vs. non-chocolate), tabulating sales by pound provides a better snapshot of what American's are actually consuming the most of, rather than just spending the most money on. This year, I regret to inform you that our purchases remain as expected as ever.
America’s favorite Valentine’s Day candy, state by state
Here's how it breaks down: Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates win the day, taking the top spot in 15 states. Hot on the heels of this Valentine's Day cliche are those chalky little conversation hearts, which ranked in first place in 13 states. Surely Sweethearts maker Spangler is very happy about this development.
From there, the top-ranked candies are Hershey Kisses (8 states) and Valentine-themed M&M's (6 states). Rounding out the map are a smattering of states that prefer chocolate hearts and chocolate roses—and in Alabama, candy necklaces remain an eerily consistent fixture on the map.
These results are a little anticlimactic, to say the least. After all, Valentine's-themed M&M's and Hershey Kisses are just the regular plain ol' chocolate product in a pink-and-red package. And unless you're investing heavily in something from, say, Godiva, heart-shaped boxes of assorted chocolates are most often mass-produced by brands like Russell Stover, which, while perfectly fine, hardly feel like an occasion.
There's one piece of good news from this data, however: After Nebraska and Michigan both came out hard for so-called Cupid Corn last year, only Michigan has it listed as its favorite Valentine's Day candy in 2024. Here's hoping that by next year, the pink-and-red imposter candy corn can be entirely eliminated from the rankings.