Georgians are reaching for Jolly Ranchers this Halloween, according to sales data from CandyStore.com, which tracks bulk candy purchases across all 50 states.

What’s happening: For the second consecutive year, Jolly Ranchers hold the top spot in Georgia for 2026, with NERDS Gummy Clusters coming in second and Swedish Fish third. Georgia’s ranking comes from CandyStore.com’s projection built on 18 years of Halloween candy sales data.

What’s new: NERDS Gummy Clusters are the story of this Halloween season. The candy had never placed in any state on CandyStore.com’s annual map before this year. Now it finishes in the top three in seven states, including second place in Georgia, and debuts at fifth nationally.

The big picture: Nationally, M&M’s holds the top spot, tied with Sour Patch Kids for the most states won at ten each. Twelve states have a new favorite candy this year compared to 2024. Seven of those twelve switched from a chocolate candy to a non-chocolate one. No state went the other direction.

By the numbers: Americans are expected to spend $4.1 billion on Halloween candy this year, up from $3.9 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Candy prices are up 8.1% from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning shoppers are likely getting a little less candy for their money even as they spend more.

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B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.

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