When it comes to Halloween candy, Virginia residents have a soft spot for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but their taste in sweets may be a little more adventurous than the rest of the country's.
A new Halloween Sweet Tooth Report from Instacart reveals America's favorite Halloween treats, state preferences and some regional preferences that suggest not everyone got the memo about Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
The report is based on pre-Halloween Instacart shopping data from October 2025. It offers a state-by-state look at America's sweet tooth, including which candies sell best and which treats inspire unusual levels of devotion.
In Virginia, Instacart's analysis found Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as the best-selling Halloween candy. But Hershey's Milk Chocolate stood out as a particular favorite, accounting for a larger share of candy purchases in Virginia than it did nationwide.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the undisputed heavyweight of Halloween candy, ranking first by ounces sold nationally and claiming the top spot in 40 of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Peanut M&M's came in second nationally, followed by Hershey's Milk Chocolate, regular M&M's and Snickers. Chocolate dominates the rankings, and Sour Patch Kids candy doesn't make an appearance until seventh place.
Americans are hardly united in their candy preferences.
Rhode Island is the lone state where Sour Patch Kids beat out both Reese's and Peanut M&M's for the top spot.
Montana's fondness for HI-CHEW is in a league of its own. The chewy Japanese candy accounted for a share of candy purchases 616 percent higher than the national average, the biggest such difference anywhere in the country.
Louisianans have a thing for Tootsie Pops, buying them at a rate 141 percent above the national share. Colorado and Wyoming have an unusually strong appetite for candy corn, the tricolored confection that has been dividing Halloween candy lovers for generations.
In Virginia, candy accounted for a share of Instacart purchases 3 percent below the national average, according to the company's analysis of October 2025 purchases.
Halloween candy shopping is particularly serious business in the West.
Utah led the nation, with candy accounting for 67 percent more of Instacart purchases than the national average. Idaho followed at 50 percent above average, Alaska at 47 percent, Washington at 43 percent and Montana at 40 percent.
The Northeast, meanwhile, appeared to be taking a more restrained approach.
Delaware's candy-shopping rate was 18 percent below the national average, followed by Pennsylvania at 16 percent below and New York at 15 percent below.
That doesn't necessarily mean trick-or-treaters in those states are getting shortchanged. The figures reflect Instacart orders, not every candy purchase or the generosity of the people answering the door on Halloween night.
At the city level, Anchorage, Alaska, led the candy-buying pack at 56 percent above the national average. Eugene, Oregon; Tacoma, Washington; Vancouver, Washington; and Spokane, Washington, rounded out the top five.
The top five cities buying the least are Newark, New Jersey; Yonkers, New York; Jersey City, New Jersey; Syracuse, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No Virginia cities appeared among the 10 highest or lowest.
Instacart also took a peek at Halloween costumes, and things got a little fruity.
Skeletons and witches were top sellers among adult costumes, while Ghostface masks from the "Scream" movies led children's costume purchases.
But among adults shopping for food-themed costumes, the humble banana took the crown. It's a fitting choice, Instacart said. Bananas are also the grocery delivery platform's best-selling item overall.
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