News Here Are the Most Popular Snacks in America, Per State Are you Team Cheetos or Team Doritos? By Jelisa Castrodale Jelisa Castrodale Jelisa Castrodale has been a staff writer with Food & Wine since 2019. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 4, 2024 Close Photo: 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.” 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?) 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 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit