Pennsylvania's top candy, M&Ms, sure beats Ohio's Blow Pops

Looking to avoid the TP and soap on Halloween?

Make sure to stock up on crusty candy corn for kids in Michigan, Idaho and Alabama. Let those in New York and Nebraska pucker up on Sour Patch Kids.

But give us Keystone staters our M&Ms.

That's the word from candystore.com , where a new interactive map shows the favorite Halloween candy state-by-state.

Using sales data from 2007 to 2016, particularly in the months leading up to Halloween, analysts came up with the three top-selling treats in every state and Canada.

Pennsylvanians love the tiny chocolate gems with the colorful candy coating. M&Ms also rated top in California, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Our homegrown Hershey's Mini Bars come in at No. 3, while Skittles make the list at No. 2. Hershey's Kisses did get some love in Nevada, rating No. 1 there, and came in as the No. 2 candy in several other states.

A new report says M&Ms are the top-selling candy in Pennsylvania (https://t.co/2AmartLtsV). What's your preference for Halloween?

" TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) October 4, 2017

Our neighbors in Ohio and West Virginia, for some odd reason, love the jaw-breaking, so-called "gum" at the center of a Blow Pop.

But whether it's Hot Tamales in North Dakota and Indiana or Jolly Ranchers in Utah (really, Jolly Ranchers? Maybe only grandmas buy candy in Utah), it's all good news for dentists. The National Retail Federation estimates that shoppers will spend $2.7 billion on Halloween candy this year.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shirley_trib.