Here Are the Most Popular Snacks in America, Per State
Are you Team Cheetos or Team Doritos?
Doritos / Cheetos / Chex Mix
Instagram recently served me some very targeted ads, including a tote bag that read “Always Carry Snacks” in colorful all-caps letters and a smaller pouch labeled “Emergency Snacks.” If I had to sum my personal philosophy up in three words, “Always Carry Snacks” might be what I’d go with — and we’re talking about having readily available snacks at all times, not just on today’s very real holiday, National Snack Day.
If you’re also a semi-pro snacker, then you undoubtedly have your faves that you stuff into your work bag, your desk drawers, your pockets, your gym bag… well, you get the idea. But the kind of snacks you’re reaching for might depend on where you live. Market research company HubScore recently released a map that reveals the most-searched-for snack in every single U.S. state — and some of the findings are surprising.
For starters, Rice Krispies Treats took the No. 1 spot in 18 different states, and HubScore’s map shows that the Rice Krispies Belt stretches from Washington State, through Utah, Colorado, and Kansas, before extending upwards through Iowa and Minnesota. A HubScore spokesperson said that Rice Krispies Treats’ new geographical dominance “reflects the evolving snacking landscape and snacking becoming more of a replacement for a meal.”
Related: Birdseed Rice Crispy Treats
The other dozen states that may be the most likely to reach for Rice Krispies treats are Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
Doritos, which claimed the most states in HubScore’s 2023 survey, was the top choice in 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Doritos were also the go-to snack in Washington, D.C.
HubScore’s data also showed that the third most popular snack was Cheetos, which were preferred by residents of eight states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.
There were also a couple of interesting outliers. Connecticut and New York residents prefer Lay’s Potato Chips, while Chex Mix claims Hawaii, Montana, and North Dakota. And finally, New Jersey’s favorite snack is…Cheerios. (Who hurt you, New Jersey?)
Related: 7 Ways to Use Rice Krispies Beyond Rice Krispies Treats
HubScore also noted that 73% of American consumers snack at least twice daily.
All of this information should be taken with a grain of salt – or with a liberal coating of Cheeto dust. Again, HubScore says that its data “[identifies] the most searched snack in each state,” so there’s still a chance that a lot of New Jersey residents were Googling “What kind of person eats Cheerios as a snack?”
As for the rest of the states, see below for a complete list of results from HubScore's latest survey:
Alabama: Doritos
Alaska: Rice Krispies Treats
Arizona: Cheetos
Arkansas: Doritos
California: Cheetos
Colorado: Rice Krispies Treats
Connecticut: Lays
Delaware: Doritos
District of Columbia: Doritos
Florida: Doritos
Georgia: Doritos
Hawaii: Chex Mix
Idaho: Rice Krispies Treats
Illinois: Cheetos
Indiana: Rice Krispies Treats
Iowa: Rice Krispies Treats
Kansas: Rice Krispies Treats
Kentucky: Doritos
Louisiana: Cheetos
Maine: Rice Krispies Treats
Maryland: Doritos
Massachusetts: Rice Krispies Treats
Michigan: Rice Krispies Treats
Minnesota: Rice Krispies Treats
Mississippi: Doritos
Missouri: Rice Krispies Treats
Montana: Chex Mix
Nebraska: Cheetos
Nevada: Cheetos
New Hampshire: Rice Krispies Treats
New Jersey: Cheerios
New Mexico: Cheetos
New York: Lays
North Carolina: Doritos
North Dakota: Chex Mix
Ohio: Doritos
Oklahoma: Fritos
Oregon: Rice Krispies Treats
Pennsylvania: Rice Krispies Treats
Rhode Island: Doritos
South Carolina: Doritos
South Dakota: Fritos
Tennessee: Doritos
Texas: Cheetos
Utah: Rice Krispies Treats
Vermont: Rice Krispies Treats
Virginia: Doritos
Washington: Rice Krispies Treats
West Virginia: Doritos
Wisconsin: Rice Krispies Treats
Wyoming: Fritos
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