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Mapped: Each State’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Candy
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Key Takeaways
- In 15 states, the heart-shaped box of chocolates is the most popular Valentine’s Day candy.
- Hershey Kisses, M&Ms, and chocolate hearts and roses all served as prime runners-up.
Americans buy tons of candy for Valentine’s Day—but their precise preference varies by state.
This map shows the favorite Valentine’s Day candy in each U.S. state, using data from CandyStore’s 2024 overview.
The Favorite Valentine’s Day Candies of Different States
In 15 of the 50 states, the classic heart-shaped box of chocolates was the preferred choice, followed closely by conversation hearts at 13 states. All Pacific and West Coast states besides Oregon were particular fans of conversation hearts which spell out little romantic messages.
The table below shows the most popular Valentine’s Day candy in each state:
| State Name | Top Candy |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Candy Necklaces |
| Alaska | Conversation Hearts |
| Arizona | M&M’s |
| Arkansas | Hershey Kisses |
| California | Conversation Hearts |
| Colorado | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Connecticut | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Delaware | Hershey Kisses |
| Florida | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Georgia | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Hawaii | Conversation Hearts |
| Idaho | Hershey Kisses |
| Illinois | Chocolate Hearts |
| Indiana | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Iowa | M&M’s |
| Kansas | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Kentucky | Chocolate Roses |
| Louisiana | Conversation Hearts |
| Maine | Chocolate Hearts |
| Maryland | M&M’s |
| Massachusetts | Conversation Hearts |
| Michigan | Cupid Corn |
| Minnesota | M&M’s |
| Mississippi | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Missouri | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Montana | Chocolate Hearts |
| Nebraska | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Nevada | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| New Hampshire | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| New Jersey | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| New Mexico | Chocolate Roses |
| New York | Conversation Hearts |
| North Carolina | Conversation Hearts |
| North Dakota | M&M’s |
| Ohio | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Oklahoma | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| Oregon | Hershey Kisses |
| Pennsylvania | Hershey Kisses |
| Rhode Island | Chocolate Hearts |
| South Carolina | Conversation Hearts |
| South Dakota | Conversation Hearts |
| Tennessee | Conversation Hearts |
| Texas | Hershey Kisses |
| Utah | Hershey Kisses |
| Vermont | M&M’s |
| Virginia | Conversation Hearts |
| Washington | Conversation Hearts |
| Washington, D.C. | Heart-Shaped Box of Chocolates |
| West Virginia | Conversation Hearts |
| Wisconsin | Hershey Kisses |
| Wyoming | Chocolate Roses |
Michigan is the sole state across the country where cupid corn, a favorite of past years, continues to be the top-purchased candy.
Similarly, Alabama is alone in having candy necklaces as its top candy of choice.
Meanwhile, Hershey Kisses and M&Ms remain favorites across the country. Hershey Kisses are the top-selling Valentine’s Day candy in eight states, including Texas, while M&Ms have emerged as especially popular in six states.
American Spending on Valentine’s Day
Americans are projected to spend nearly $30 billion for Valentine’s Day this year. Candy remains the most popular gift for the holiday, as nearly 56% of consumers plan to purchase some sort of candy for a loved one or themselves.
Valentine’s Day thus plays a big part in the industry’s annual earnings, especially as chocolate prices soar to new highs due to drought conditions in West Africa, where most cocoa is harvested.
The average American reportedly spends over $120 on Valentine’s Day candy each year.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you found this infographic interesting, explore more population and demographic insights on Voronoi, including Valentine’s Day is Becoming More Expensive & Less Celebrated.
