Perhaps the only thing more fascinating than knowing which states produce certain foods is knowing which states consume certain foods. There are all kinds of fun food statistics out there, from the state with the most fast food restaurants to the states that consume the most pizza. There’s even a state that drinks the most alcohol.
When it comes to sweets, especially candy, there’s one state that pulls massively ahead of the pack: California. According to the National Confectioners Association, California spends $7.7 billion on candy per year. Considering the size and population of the state, perhaps it comes as no surprise that California consumes so much candy, even if the state has a reputation for promoting healthy living.
Maybe it just goes to show that even the healthiest states cannot resist the allure of a sweet treat. California wouldn’t be the only state to have a love affair with candy; in fact, it would seem the entire country is fond of both making and consuming candy.
Candy consumption in the United States
California spends the most money on candy, followed close behind by Illinois, which spends $6.3 billion on candy. That’s over a billion dollars less than California. Third place goes to Pennsylvania, with $5.9 billion spent on candy each year. Spending greatly drops off at this point, with fourth and fifth place going to Texas and New Jersey. These states spend $2.6 and $2.5 billion on candy respectively, which is a substantial drop in comparison to California.
Spending can be directly correlated to search volumes and availability of candy stores. California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois all have a large array of candy stores, which likely causes the high spending in all of these states.
Various connections to the candy industry can also be a contributing factor. For example, California is the home of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Jelly Belly, while Pennsylvania is the home of Hershey’s. The associations with these massive candy companies, as well as employing so many people in these respective states in the candy industry, may influence people in these states to consume more candy than other locations.
