I scream, you scream, the entire U.S. population screams for—say it with me—ice cream, of course! When the dog days of summer call for frozen sweet treats, ice cream is an easy bet. We all have our go-tos, and they might even vary pretty widely from other members of your household. After all, ice cream has taken countless forms throughout its storied history, from cakes (a birthday favorite) to sandwiches, and even fried.
Given the sheer number of frozen treats on the market, it seems unreasonable to expect consumers to have any type of consensus on what the “best” brand may be. Nevertheless, a recent study of Google Trends by Coffeeness sought to identify the most popular ice cream brand in each state, and, as it turns out, there are definite regional opinions about which pint you should grab on your next trip to the supermarket.
The Most Popular Ice Cream Brands in the U.S.
Only 11 ice cream brands are featured on the list of states’ faves, a clear indicator that opinions on the cold dessert may be more generalized than we thought. A few brands only saw one or two states picking them out among the rest, while the front-runner was chosen by a whopping 14 states. That’s over 20 percent of the country.
Here’s a breakdown of each state’s top choice, starting with the top three.
3rd Place: Tillamook
The nation’s third-favorite brand is a personal favorite: Tillamook, which calls Oregon its home and finds a lot of favor throughout the Western U.S. Six states chose this company as their ideal ice cream brand. Its home state stood behind the company, and it has also found a strong foothold in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico.
2nd Place: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
America’s second favorite brand is Jeni’s, a company that consistently rolls out new, interesting pints to consumers. It may be one of the pricier brands on the shelf, but it’s well worth it; I mean, how could we not try everything bagel ice cream? Jeni’s reach goes from coast to coast, though it finds most favor in the Southeastern U.S. The following 13 states will choose Jeni’s above everything else: California, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.
1st Place: Ben & Jerry’s
We bet you can guess which brand comes out on top as the favorite of 14 different states: Ben & Jerry’s. Though this brand seems to have a monopoly on the entire New England region, it’s by no means limited to that upper-right corner of the states. In fact, it’s also the brand of choice for states as far away as Washington. Others that go bananas over Ben & Jerry’s include Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Florida. And of course, we have basically all of the Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Coffeeness
As for the rest?
The Midwest sees many neighboring states sharing a favorite flavor, suggesting strong regional presence of (and preference for) the following: Braum’s (favored by Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas); Ohio-born Graeter’s, chosen by its home state as well as Indiana and Kentucky; and Blue Bunny, the choice brand for consumers in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Three brands have two states each favoring them, which is somewhat surprising considering all of them have fairly national reach. Turkey Hill is preferred by neighbors Delaware and Pennsylvania; Blue Bell was chosen by Southern states Louisiana and Mississippi; and in a surprising turn of events, polar opposites Alaska and Hawaii both chose Häagen-Dazs as their favorite brand.
Big wigs aside, a couple of brands were the first choice of only one state–but hey, that’s better than none, right? Halo Top, the famous low-cal brand that’s hard not to eat by the pint, is the brand of choice for North Dakota. Michigan’s pick is the local brand Hudsonville, whose vanilla flavor is a chef favorite.
The Full List of States’ Favorite Ice Cream Brands
Ice Cream Brand
States Where It Ranked #1
List of States
Ben & Jerry’s
14
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin
Jeni’s
13
Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
Tillamook
6
Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming
Braum’s
3
Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma
Graeter’s
3
Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio
Blue Bunny
3
Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota
Häagen Dazs
2
Alaska, Hawaii
Turkey Hill
2
Delaware, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell
2
Louisiana, Mississippi
Hudsonville
1
Michigan
Halo Top
1
North Dakota
What Can We Conclude From the Study?
It’s probably not surprising that Ben & Jerry’s is the top brand throughout the U.S. After all, it’s a household name that’s successfully cemented itself into American culture over its nearly 50-year history.
More noteworthy in our opinion, however, is that Jeni’s took second spot. Jeni’s has only been around since 2002, so though it’s a mere two decades old, it’s still beaten out other national names like Häagen-Dazs.
On the other hand, a few brands have carved a niche out for themselves in their home regions, even if they’re not as widespread as other companies.
Whether you align with your home state or not, it’s clear we Americans love our ice cream.
Dining and Cooking