Americans snack a lot, but what ends up in the pantry depends on where you live. Some states lean toward crunchy tortilla chips, others prefer sweet cereal treats, and a few have snack traditions that go well beyond the supermarket aisle.
According to a 2024 snack ranking from HubScore, Rice Krispies Treats, Doritos, and Cheetos appeared repeatedly across the country. But there is a catch: the ranking examined only a limited selection of trending snacks, and search popularity doesn’t necessarily reflect what people buy most often.
Still, the results offer a fascinating look at America’s snacking preferences. From Louisiana’s Cajun-seasoned chips to Hawaii’s preserved-fruit treats, here’s how the 50 states compare, along with a few regional favorites worth noting.
The South: Doritos Have Some Serious Competition
Doritos made a particularly strong showing across the South in HubScore’s 2024 ranking.
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia were among the states associated with the tortilla-chip brand. Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia also appeared in the Doritos group.
Arkansas stands out because another snack ranking, published by Zippia, also identified Doritos as its leading search-interest candidate.
However, not every Southern state followed the same pattern.
Louisiana was linked to Cheetos, while Oklahoma favored Fritos in the HubScore results. South Carolina appeared in the Doritos group, but its official state snack tells a different story.
In 2006, South Carolina designated boiled peanuts as its official state snack food. You can find these Southern staples associated with roadside stands, festivals, and local stores.
Texas has an official snack, too: tortilla chips and salsa. Interestingly, Cheetos topped Texas’s HubScore entry, showing how a state’s recognized food tradition can differ from an online snack ranking.
The Northeast: Chips, Cookies, and Unexpected Favorites
The Northeast offers a lively mix of salty and sweet options.
The HubScore ranking associated Connecticut and New York with Lay’s potato chips. Meanwhile, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Vermont landed in the Rice Krispies Treats group.
Rhode Island appeared on the Doritos list, while New Jersey delivered one of the biggest surprises: Cheerios.
Yes, the breakfast cereal.
New Jersey was the only state assigned Cheerios in that particular ranking. Another search-based study from Zippia associated the state with Oreo cookies instead.
Pennsylvania has a particularly interesting snack identity. Despite its long-standing connection to pretzels and regional chip makers such as Utz and Herr’s, its HubScore candidate was Rice Krispies Treats.
Maryland has another regional specialty worth mentioning: Utz Crab Potato Chips. Despite their Maryland association, Utz actually began in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
And for Halloween candy shoppers, Rhode Island offers another twist. Instacart’s analysis of October 2025 orders identified Sour Patch Kids as the state’s leading candy, ahead of several chocolate favorites.
The Midwest: Rice Krispies Treats Make a Big Impression
The Midwest may be the most interesting region for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Rice Krispies Treats appeared as the HubScore candidate for Illinois’s neighbors Indiana and Iowa, along with Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
Illinois itself went in another direction, landing in the Cheetos group.
Nebraska also favored Cheetos, while North Dakota and South Dakota were linked to Chex Mix and Fritos, respectively.
Michigan deserves a special mention because its snack identity goes beyond national brands. Instacart’s 2026 Fourth of July purchasing analysis identified Better Made as a potato-chip brand with disproportionately strong local purchasing.
Wisconsin is another state where regional food culture adds an extra layer. Cheese curds remain closely associated with its cheesemaking traditions, even though Rice Krispies Treats appeared in the broader snack ranking.
The lesson? A famous local specialty doesn’t always win when a study focuses on searches for packaged products.
The West: Cheetos, Chex Mix, and Sweet Treats
Western states have some of the most varied snack choices.
HubScore’s ranking associated Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico with Cheetos. Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington went with Rice Krispies Treats.
Hawaii and Montana were assigned Chex Mix, while Wyoming joined Oklahoma and South Dakota in the Fritos group.
California is especially interesting because both HubScore and Zippia identified Cheetos as a leading snack candidate. That agreement is notable, although it doesn’t establish which Cheetos variety residents prefer.
Hawaii also deserves attention beyond the familiar packaged brands. Preserved-fruit snacks, including li hing mui, have a documented place in the islands’ food culture. Instacart’s 2025 purchasing data also highlighted Maui Style potato chips as a brand with unusually strong local purchasing relative to its national share.
New Mexico brings something different to the table with locally produced chile-seasoned pistachios. Producers around Alamogordo offer green-chile varieties, adding a distinctly regional option to the snack conversation.
Related: Top 10 Addictive Snacks
What Americans Are Actually Buying
Search rankings can be entertaining, but grocery purchases tell another part of the story.
According to Instacart’s June 2026 purchasing report, Lay’s led potato-chip sales across most states on its platform. Regional brands, however, had distinctive pockets of customer loyalty.
Instacart
American snacking also generates plenty of revenue. Circana retail data reported by Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery placed U.S. salty-snack sales at approximately $42.2 billion for the 52 weeks ending December 1, 2024.
That figure helps explain why snack brands compete so fiercely for shelf space, even as regional specialties maintain their own devoted followings.
So, Which Snack Really Wins America?
Rice Krispies Treats made the widest impression in the 2024 HubScore state comparison, followed by Doritos and Cheetos. But that doesn’t make them the undisputed best-selling snacks in every state today.
The more interesting takeaway is just how different America’s snack traditions can be. One state celebrates boiled peanuts, another recognizes chips and salsa, and elsewhere a familiar bag of potato chips carries a strong regional identity.
Whether you’re devoted to crunchy, cheesy, salty, or sweet snacks, there is plenty to explore beyond your usual grocery-store favorite. And sometimes the most interesting snack isn’t the one topping a national ranking, but the one locals have enjoyed for generations.
Related: 7 Childhood Snacks That Disappeared After the ’90s
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