Every state’s No. 1 favorite snack, according to a new study (2024)

Ahead of March 4 being National Snack Day, a study by HubScore revealed the most favored snacks across each state in the U.S.

The study, according to Foodbeast, was narrowed down to the top 20 trending snacks, looking to find which states liked which snack foods the most. All of these snacks — among many, many more — contribute to an industry expected to make over $32 billion in 2026, per Statista.

Snacks that were listed in at least one top five list that didn’t make it to No. 1 in a state include:

• Chips Ahoy!
• Goldfish.
• Pringles.
• Starburst.
• Tostitos.

Here is a list of every snack food that achieved at least one No. 1 spot in a state:

6. Cheerios

State: New Jersey.

Representing the only true cereal on this list, Cheerios makes it as one state’s favorite snack.

Debuting under the name Cheerioats in 1941, according to General Mills, the name later became shortened in 1945 to simply Cheerios, and the rest is history. The brand has kept its original product for over 80 years, but since 1976, “dozens of varieties” have been made of the oat-based cereal, including Honey Nut Cheerios — which has become the nation’s bestseller in cereal products.

The iconic cereal is on the top five list in 33 states and appears at No. 2 in five of them.

5. Lay’s

States: Connecticut and New York.

The first chip brand to appear on this ranking, Lay’s is found as the favorite snack in two states.

ABC News shared that the staple potato chips were first produced and sold during the Great Depression; and after combining with Frito’s corn chips, the Frito-Lay brand has successfully carried on to this day, with flavor alternatives such as barbecue and sour and cream and onion.

The chip brand ranks in the top five in six states, appearing at No. 2 in one of them.

T-4. Chex Mix

States: Hawaii, Montana and North Dakota.

The mix of Chex cereals, pretzels and bagel chips labeled Chex Mix lists out as the top snack for three states.

According to Mashed, the wife of an executive from Chex producers Ralston Purina — the company also responsible for the pet food brand Purina — brought a homemade Chex mix to a 1955 holiday party. Three decades after, the mix finally became produced and distributed in stores, and still remains a snack mix staple.

The mixed-snack brand gets into the top five in 14 states, ranking at No. 2 in three of them.

T-4. Fritos

States: Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Known as a corn chip brand to pair with your next cowboy caviar, Fritos also appears as the top snack in three states.

The chip originated during the Great Depression after its founder, Charles Elmer Doolin, saw “a Mexican man making an extruded corn chip out of masa, frying it and selling little bags” of it from a gas station, per NPR. Doolin built up the brand for multiple decades, eventually partnering with the Lay’s brand in the late 1950s after selling the product in Dallas and in Disneyland restaurants.

Fritos appears on the top five in 39 states, listed at No. 2 for 12 of them.

3. Cheetos

States: Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

The cheesy corn puff snack Cheetos makes it on the top of eight states’ lists.

Cheetos were also made by Doolin in the late 1940s, supposedly combining the name of cheese and Fritos — as the corn chips were originally used to make Cheetos, according to Business Insider. Initially only sold in its iconic crunchy version, an alternate version of its cheesy product wouldn’t be seen until 1971 with Cheetos Puffs, and in the early 1990s with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos — the latter of which was pitched to the CEO by a janitor plant-worker.

The cheesy snack shows up on the top five of 31 states and gets to No. 2 for eight of them.

2. Doritos

States: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Dominating the southeastern part of the U.S., the triangular cheesy chip is listed as the top snack in 12 states.

The Frito-Lay brand we all know and love created Doritos in 1964, adding its recognizable nacho cheese flavor in 1972, per HuffPost. Later years would see different flavors of the chips, most notably its Cool Ranch version in 1994.

Doritos makes it to the top five in 39 states, appearing at No. 2 in 16 of them.

1. Rice Krispies Treats

States: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Finally, the No. 1 snack across the U.S. was found to be Rice Krispies Treats, making it to the top in 18 states.

The cereal that can snap, crackle and pop was invented in the late 1920s, reported Mashed. A few years after, a recipe tester named Mildred “Millie” Ghrist Day accidentally combined the cereal with marshmallows. With the help of co-worker Malitta Jensen, they created the marshmallow-cereal squares — and it still remains an American snack icon.

Rice Krispie Treats ranked in the top five of 28 states and made it to No. 2 in six of them.