Halloween candy rankings are back, and there’s a new race for the top.
M&M’s are once again the most popular Halloween candy in America, according to CandyStore.com’s 2026 ranking, holding onto the No. 1 spot from its last ranking in 2024. But Sour Patch Kids are making a serious run at the candy crown, climbing to No. 2 nationally and tying M&M’s for the most state wins.
Meanwhile, NERDS Gummy Clusters have gone from nowhere on CandyStore.com’s state map to a top-five candy nationally.
The ranking is based on projected Halloween-season sales, using 18 years of sales data from CandyStore.com, along with data shared by major candy manufacturers and distributors. The company says its 2026 ranking is a projection based on historical sales, with more recent years weighted more heavily.
And Americans are spending plenty on Halloween this year. The National Retail Federation expects total Halloween spending to reach a record $13.5 billion, with candy accounting for $4.1 billion. Candy is also the most popular Halloween purchase, with 96% of consumers planning to buy it.
So, what are we putting in those trick-or-treat bags?
What is the most popular Halloween candy in 2026?
For the second consecutive ranking, M&M’s take the No. 1 spot nationally.
Here’s the national top 10, based on projected pounds sold across states where each candy finished in the top three:
- M&M’s
- Sour Patch Kids
- Skittles
- Reese’s Cups
- NERDS Gummy Clusters
- Hot Tamales
- Starburst
- Candy Corn
- Hershey’s Mini Bars
- Butterfinger
The biggest newcomer is NERDS Gummy Clusters, which had never finished in the top three in a state on the map before this year. They now rank No. 5 nationally and finish in the top three in seven states.
Reese’s Cups fell from No. 2 to No. 4 in the national sales ranking, losing its top spot in Florida and Wyoming. The candy now holds first place in just two states, Kentucky and New Hampshire.
That follows another shake-up in CandyStore.com’s separate survey of the best Halloween candy, where Reese’s lost the No. 1 spot for the first time since the survey began in 2014.
In that survey, Snickers took the top spot.
So while Reese’s remains a Halloween staple, 2026 is not exactly its year.
The most popular Halloween candy by state
M&M’s and Sour Patch Kids are the only candies that win in all four regions of the country.
M&M’s take the top spot in 10 states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia.
Sour Patch Kids also win 10 states, including Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Delaware, South Carolina, Texas, Alaska and Arizona.
Other candies have more regional followings.
Candy corn, despite being famously controversial, wins three states: Maryland, North Dakota and Utah.
And eight candies win exactly one state each, including NERDS Gummy Clusters in Indiana, Lemonheads in Louisiana, Starburst in Michigan, Tootsie Pops in New Jersey and Salt Water Taffy in Wyoming.
Candy corn may have the most complicated relationship with America.
The Halloween classic ranks No. 8 nationally based on sales and wins three states. But CandyStore.com’s separate survey also named candy corn the worst Halloween candy of 2026.
So Americans apparently don’t mind buying it even if they don’t want to admit they like it.
That contradiction isn’t new. CandyStore.com’s sales data has consistently shown that candy corn sells, even as surveys regularly put it near the bottom of the popularity rankings.
How much are Americans spending on Halloween candy?
A lot.
The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, matching the strong spending levels of recent years. Candy accounts for an estimated $4.1 billion of that total.
Candy remains the most popular Halloween purchase, with 96% of consumers planning to buy sweets.
And nearly half of Halloween shoppers, 49%, started shopping in September or earlier.
So if you’re the person who waits until Oct. 30 to buy candy for trick-or-treaters, consider this your warning.
