Summer is over, and the counts are in. Vanilla is the all-around favorite ice cream! Different geographical regions do have their favorites. But almost half choose vanilla as their fav.
Facts
Americans consume about 19 pounds of ice cream per person each year. [1] The U.S. ice cream industry generates around $7.5 billion in annual sales. A new map highlights the flavors that stand out most in each state.
The map uses data from Instacart purchases in 2025. It shows the flavor that overindexes the most in each state relative to the national average. Vanilla is the signature flavor in 19 states.
Regional Favorites
Beyond vanilla, several flavors form geographic clusters. Rocky Road stands out in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Washington.
“Vanilla is the signature flavor in 19 states.”
Coffee has a strong presence across New England and overindexes in seven states. In the Southeast, Butter Pecan connects Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Mint Chocolate Chip forms a Mid-Atlantic cluster across Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Peanut Butter stands out in Connecticut, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Some states have unique signature flavors. Tennessee is the only state where Cheesecake stands out. Kentucky is unique with Raspberry, and Vermont favors Chocolate Fudge/Brownie.
Florida’s signature flavor is Chocolate. This is notable even though chocolate is the second-most ordered flavor nationally. Wisconsin is the only state with a branded signature flavor: Moose Tracks.
Instacart data also shows regional differences in favored brands. Häagen-Dazs is the top brand nationally, followed by Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers.
“Wisconsin is the only state with a branded signature flavor: Moose Tracks.”
Tillamook is favored across a dozen western states. Blue Bell is strong across much of the South. Blue Bunny over-indexes throughout the Great Plains. Friendly’s maintains a local following in New England.
Here in Missouri, vanilla is the winning flavor.
