This Map Shows the Most Popular Ice Cream Flavors in Each State

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. But which flavor of ice cream does each state scream the loudest for? Instacart wanted to get the scoop, so they created an awesome map that shows the most popular flavor in every state.

The methodology here is a little bit more legit than other maps that might use Google search volume, for example, in order to determine what consumer good, or streaming service, or tv show, etc., is king in every state.

To determine each state’s most popular flavor, Instacart measured which flavor in every state has the highest relative share of all ice cream purchases compared to the national average. And once they had that data, they were able to create a map that showed every state’s favorite flavor.

A major caveat is that the map does not include Vanilla because otherwise, it would just be a giant map of the United States of Vanilla, as the flavor accounts for nearly a quarter of all ice cream purchases on Instacart and is the top choice in literally every state. Chocolate also seems to be excluded, presumably for similar reasons.

What is most interesting about the map is seeing how regional ice cream flavors actually are. Green Tea is the clear alpha in the Pacific Northwest, as Washington, Oregon, and Idaho all chose it as their favorite flavor.

Meanwhile, Rocky Road is the big winner in the Southwest, with Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California all preferring it to other flavors. But nothing compares to Moose Track’s stronghold in the Midwest, where it was the top choice in eight states (depending on how strict, or loose, your interpretation is of the Midwest).

In fact, Moose Track’s Midwest dominance made it the most popular flavor on the map, as it ended up as the top choice in 12 states. Rocky Road, Green Tea, Coffee, and Birthday Cake all tied for second with five states each. The biggest shock (at least to me) was that Mint Chocolate Chip ended up as the no. 1 ice cream in only one state. Perhaps it is time for me to pack up and head to Pennsylvania to start over with people who actually have decent taste.