Pennsylvania Is the Sweetest State of 2024

Everyone knows Hershey is trademarked as The Sweetest Place on Earth, but Pennsylvania was recently named the No. 1 most sweet-obsessed state by Taffy Shop.  

With an overall sweet obsession score of 80, Pennsylvania has a state-wise online search volume for sweet snacks of over 3.7 million (in other words, Pennsylvanians are frequently turning to Google to satisfy their sweet treat cravings!).  

Additionally, the commonwealth’s children (ages 1-17) consume the most sugary snacks per week (22.86 on average) out of all other states, and candy and chocolate shops number 3.3 per 100,000 residents. 

Tied approximately with Illinois and California (the second and third most sweet-obsessed states, respectively), Pennsylvania’s sugar industry economic output brings in a hefty $6 billion per year. 

In 2023, the Halloween season drove $6.4 billion in confectionary retail sales nationwide, according to the National Confectioners Association. This year, that number is expected to increase by three to five percent. As the nation’s sweetest state, Pennsylvania is sure to account for its fair share of sweet treat consumption this spooky season.  

Other fun Halloween candy facts from the NCA include:  

• 97% of Americans who welcome trick-or-treaters will hand out chocolate and candy, of which two-thirds say they give out two to three pieces of candy per person. 
• Americans’ favorite Halloween treats are chocolate, gummy candy, chewy candy, candy corn, hard candy and lollipops. 
• More than half of Americans start enjoying their Halloween candy before Oct. 31 (and more than half of parents steal from their kids’ trick-or-treating stash!). 
• Two-thirds of Americans enjoy treats with a scary theme, with their favorite treat shapes being pumpkins, ghosts and bats. 

And speaking of trick-or-treating, Pennsylvania was named the fourth-best state for trick-or-treating in 2024. According to the analysis by Kuru Footwear, Pennsylvania’s high WalkScore, low pedestrian death rate and ideal 68-degree forecast for Halloween night makes it one of the safest, most enjoyable states for candy collecting. The state also has the fewest number of residents under 18 compared to other states in the top 10, which means more candy for everyone!