Valentine's Day is around the corner, which means that you're just two days away from being allowed to consume what should be considered illegal amounts of candy without feeling bad about it.
Whether you've got a significant other or not, on February 14, sweets become a food group—and we've got the data to prove it. According to the National Retail Federation, spending around the holiday of love is expected to slightly drop off this year in all but one category: Candy.
So, what are the most popular sweets throughout this great country of ours? CandyStore.com, an online bulk candy store, scoured through ten years of sales data to figure that out.
In the midst of their research, they also uncovered other interesting tidbits of information. For example, out of the 40 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate expected to be sold on Valentine's Day this year, the caramel-flavored chocolates within them are the most popular (chocolate-covered nuts came in second). Also, 69% of people prefer to receive chocolates over flowers on February 14. Duh.
Check out the interactive map right here and, below, a state-by-state breakdown:
Source: CandyStore.com
The most popular Valentine's Day candy in each state:
Alabama: Candy necklaces
Alaska: Heart-shaped box
Arizona: Conversation hearts
Arkansas: Hershey Kisses
California: Conversation hearts
Colorado: Conversation hearts
Connecticut: Heart-shaped box
Delaware: Hershey Kisses
Florida: Conversation hearts
Georgia: Heart-shaped box
Hawaii: Conversation hearts
Idaho: M&Ms
Illinois: Chocolate roses
Indiana: Heart-shaped box
Iowa: M&Ms
Kansas: Heart-shaped box
Kentucky: Chocolate roses
Louisiana: Conversation hearts
Maine: Chocolate hearts
Maryland: M&Ms
Massachusetts: Heart-shaped box
Michigan: Conversation hearts
Minnesota: Conversation hearts
Mississippi: Conversation hearts
Missouri: Conversation hearts
Montana: Conversation
Nebraska: Chocolate hearts
Nevada: Heart-shaped box
New Hampshire: Conversation hearts
New Jersey: Conversation hearts
New Mexico: Chocolate roses
New York: Heart-shaped box
North Carolina: Heart-shaped box
North Dakota: Conversation hearts
Ohio: Heart-shaped box
Oklahoma: Conversation hearts
Oregon: Chocolate roses
Pennsylvania: M&M's
Rhode Island: Chocolate hearts
South Carolina: Conversation hearts
South Dakota: Hershey Kisses
Tennessee: Conversation hearts
Texas: Heart-shaped box
Utah: Hersey Kisses
Vermont: Conversation hearts
Virginia: Heart-shaped box
Washington: Heart-shaped box
Washington, D.C.: Heart-shaped box
West Virginia: Conversation hearts
Wisconsin: Hersey Kisses
Wyoming: Chocolate roses