(STACKER) – These days, Halloween doesn’t wait for October — the season seems to sneak up sooner and sooner. From candy corn to cobwebs, consumers dive into the festivities well before pumpkins take over porches and store aisles. From sweet treats to spooky décor, Instacart data shows that October is one of the most festive times of the year in Illinois, and candy takes center stage.

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Candy’s Biggest Day of the Year

Halloween is, unsurprisingly, a big day for candy purchases. On October 31, 2024, the share of orders with candy was 100% higher than the yearly average. Now that’s a sugar high!

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Candy Hotspots: How Does Illinois Rank?

Who loads up on candy the most? Since Utah’s first full year on the Instacart platform, Utah has once again decisively claimed the crown, buying candy 50% more often than the national average in October 2024. The Mountain West and Midwest dominated the leaderboard, with Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, and Nebraska rounding out the top five. On the flip side, states like Hawai’i, Florida, and California purchased candy at rates well below the national average — proof that America’s sweet tooth isn’t evenly shared.

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America’s Favorite Halloween Candy

Once again, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups took the #1 spot, measured by total weight sold in October 2024. Peanut M&M’s and classic M&M’s weren’t far behind, followed by Kit Kat and Snickers. The top ten finishers showed a heavy lean toward chocolate favorites, though Sour Patch Kids and HARIBO Goldbears ensured fruity candies held their ground.

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Illinois’ favorite halloween candy is Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Almond

While Reese’s, M&M’s, and Kit Kat may dominate the national stage, every state has its own quirky candy crush. After comparing each state’s candy purchases against the U.S. overall, here are the sweets that are uniquely beloved in different corners of the country:

• Candy Corn found its biggest fans in the Midwest and South, with Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Nebraska all stocking up far more often than the rest of the country.
• Sour Patch Kids dominated in pockets of the Northeast and beyond, winning over states like Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Texas.
• Life Savers made a splash across the East and Southeast, showing up more often in Connecticut, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
• Now and Later was the runaway favorite in Louisiana, where residents bought the chewy classic at rates far higher than anywhere else.

Instacart

Does Illinois love candy corn?

Few Halloween candies spark as much debate as candy corn, and Instacart data shows just how differently states feel about it. During October, candy corn consistently makes up 2–3% of all candy orders on Instacart, proving that despite its polarizing reputation, this festive classic remains a steady staple. While some states can’t get enough, others want nothing to do with it:

• The biggest fans: Mississippi topped the list, ordering candy corn 92% more often than the national average. Nebraska wasn’t far behind at 91%, with Kentucky rounding out the top three at 77%.
• The least enthusiastic: On the flip side, Hawai’i ordered candy corn 55% less often than average, followed by Washington D.C. (-50%) and Florida (-43%).

Candy Corn is the ultimate Halloween wildcard. 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, but a tradition people either love to celebrate or love to debate.

Methodology
Instacart calculated the share of candy orders that contained candy corn purchased on the Instacart platform in the month of October, and the share has been between 2.0% and 2.7% going back to 2017.

Instacart

Halloween Decorations: Spooky Season Arrived Earlier

It’s not just candy that marks the start of spooky season — decorations set the tone too. Instacart data shows that in 2024, households began decking out their homes earlier than in years past. While 2022 and 2023 didn’t see a real pickup until the week of September 7, last year, consumers were already adding Halloween decor to their carts by the week of August 24. So if it felt like those inflatable ghosts and giant spiders showed up sooner than usual, you were right.

This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.