Halloween ’25: Candy corn, anyone?

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Abandoned house
Think the folks in this house hand out candy corn?

Pumpkins, candy, and out-costuming the next person dominate mid-autumn as the Halloween tradition owns October. Forget driving the countryside to take in views of leaves changing colors or dressing warmly to cheer on your favorite high school or college football team. October belongs to jack-o-lanterns and little ghouls and goblins seeking tasty treats.

Halloween – the only holiday where you don’t need to worry about family gatherings and where you can give people things to go away – is celebrated differently around the world. But, in the United States, candy drives people to roam neighborhoods in droves.

Gone are the days of popcorn balls in Saran Wrap, apples, and pennies. Instead, it’s all candy these days.

Candy corn
Trick-or-treaters have the best odds of receiving candy corn is the top candy at Halloween in Mississippi and Nebraska.

Considered the most controversial of all Halloween sweets, trick-or-treaters across the country have a 22% chance of having a handful of candy corn dropped in their bag or bucket, according to the Action Network.

Costumed crusaders in Mississippi have the “best” – if that’s the right word – opportunity to receive candy corn on Halloween, at about 45%.

Hold on, Nebraska! Trick-or-treaters here have a 44.72% chance of having a neighbor hand out candy corn. A seemingly appropriate treat for the Cornhusker State.

Candy corn
Candy corn is a popular Halloween treat in 10 states.

Kentucky is third in the candy corn challenge, with more than 42% of kids expected to be given candy corn.

If you want to patrol areas with the least likely chance of finding candy corn handed out, buy your ticket for Hawaii today. Maybe Hawaiian Airlines has a candy corn escape rate. Hawaiian children have an 11% chance of receiving candy corn. No doubt the culprits handing out candy corn are Mississippi or Nebraska transplants.

Bottom 10?

The Top Ten – Bottom 10? – of candy corn states:

10. Colorado

9. South Dakota

8. Indiana

7. Ohio

6. Arkansas

5. Kansas

4. Iowa

3. Kentucky

2. Nebraska

1. Mississippi

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups rank as the top candy handed out at Halloween.

So, you’re probably asking yourself, if candy corn is the most-dreaded, what is the most-coveted Halloween candy? Hint: You got peanut butter in my chocolate OR You got chocolate in my peanut butter.

Either way, 66.83% of American trick-or-treaters will find lots of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in their goodie bags.

Peanut M&Ms and chocolate M&Ms score highly, as well,  64.95 and 62.17%, respectively.

Top 10 candies

The Top 10 predicted Halloween treats:

10. Haribo Goldbears (gummy candy)

9. Twix

8. Milky Way

7. Hershey’s chocolate bars

6. Sour Patch Kids

5. Snickers

4. Kit Kat

3. Chocolate M&Ms

2. Peanut M&Ms

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Candy corn finished just outside the Top 10, at 11th.

Jack-o-lantern
Will your candy be a trick or a treat?

Something worse?

Apparently, there are worse things people can hand out at Halloween, including raisins, with 3.92% of trick-or-treat bags expected to include them.

The worst thing that can be given? A toothbrush, with a 1.98% chance of being handed out. Someone has to counter all that sugar rotting kids’ teeth, right?

So, if you want to avoid tricks such as having your house egged or trees TP’d, consider handing out some of the popular treats like peanut butter cups or M&Ms. But, if you’re in the Midwest, it’s harvest season, so why not spread the wealth with a handful of candy corn?