Each State’s Favorite Valentine Candy

While Valentine’s Day may have started out as a holiday for romantic love, over time it has transformed into an excuse to show your friends, family, and even coworkers you think they’re pretty swell.

That means on February 14th, the office will be full of sweets and candy, in particular. However, anyone who has been to an office potluck (or just observed a good old candy bowl), knows not all treats are as popular as others.

What candy should you bring in if you’re hoping to win friends and influence people the old-fashioned way (with some good old-fashioned light, candy bribery)?

We did the pesky work of finding each state’s favorite Valentine’s Day candy, so you know what to bring to impress. Spoilers: Most states prefer a more subtle (And chocolate-y) way of saying “I love you” than those chalky hearts.

Other Interesting Findings

• The most popular Valentine’s day candy is chocolate-covered strawberries.

• Chocolate roses and MMs tie for second place. Want to bet how many of those MMs are pink and white?

• Brands matter, with Dove chocolates being preferred to Lindor.

• California likes “candy necklaces” the most… which sounds like a slobbery mess around your neck, but to each their own.

• Conversation hearts may be a stereotypical V-Day choice, but only 4 states prefer them. Guess most states prefer a more subtle “I love you.”

• Valentine’s Day is like a box of chocolates in Kansas, South Carolina, and Idaho.

How We Figured This Out

Using Google Trends, we determined what Valentine’s Day candy each state eats a disproportionate amount of. We defined Valentine’s Day candy as candies that peaked in search volume for the big day. From there, we determined what candy is searched for a disproportionately high amount in each state.

For example, while California eats all the candies the rest of the country does, the search interest in “candy necklace” is disproportionately higher than in the remaining states- making candy necklaces more popular in California than anywhere else.

Some controversial decisions were made, including counting chocolate-covered strawberries as candy. However, search volume doesn’t lie and that peak meant our hands were tied.

We looked at the first two weeks of February to determine what folks are searching for the most in each state, prime Valentine’s Day candy stocking time. How this year changes (if it does) won’t be apparent until after Valentine’s Day- and who wants to wait that long? Luckily, odds are good most of us will still be gorging on MMs and chocolates this year and for many years after.

How Do You Say I Love You?

One thing is clear, giving people candy is a pretty big way of showing you care. In fact, 69% of Americans would rather have candy than chocolates for Valentine’s Day. What type of candy should you bring to impress? Chocolate!

Almost all states prefer chocolate. The others, well, I guess there’s no accounting for taste. Regardless, if you want to give your coworkers a treat they’ll enjoy, chocolate is a safe bet that won’t leave you with a sad, full candy bowl or your gifted treats begrudgingly eaten.

Each State’s Favorite Valentine’s Day Candy

Author

Kathy Morris

Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.