If you\u2019re from the Northeast, chances are you\u2019ve had\u00a0ice cream\u00a0on the brain \u2014 and in the stomach.<\/p>\n
Analyzing Google search trends from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., between April 2025 and April 2026,\u00a0Innerbody Research<\/a>\u00a0found that New Jersey \u201cis America\u2019s most ice cream-obsessed state.\u201d<\/p>\n Its closest neighbors aren\u2019t far off, the company noted. The Northeast \u2014 Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York \u2014 are the top five states for ice cream search interest. Seven of the top 10 \u201cmost enthusiastic\u201d states were on the East Coast, too, Innerbody reported \u2014 with New Hampshire coming in at No. 6 and Maine at No. 8.<\/p>\n The top five \u201cleast enthusiastic\u201d states, according to the search data, were Arkansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Wisconsin.<\/p>\n The Northeast \u2014 Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York \u2014 are the top five states for ice cream search interest. Robert Miller for NY Post<\/p>\n Two boys eating ice cream at Jacob Riis beach, the perfect summer treat. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/p>\n As far as ice cream flavors go, \u201cstrawberry is the undisputed national champion\u201d when it comes to searches, said Innerbody, which is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. It was the most searched-for flavor nationwide and the favorite in California, Texas and Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chocolate chip and cookie dough came in ahead of plain chocolate and vanilla.<\/p>\n Search behavior, purchases and self-reported preferences often differ, however.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instacart reported in 2025 that vanilla was the most-ordered ice cream flavor in the summer of 2024, accounting for 27% of all ice cream sold during that season \u2014 followed by chocolate, then cookies and cream.<\/p>\n Many Northeast ice cream stores have a \u201cbig launch at\u00a0the beginning of the season\u00a0and a big, grand finale at the end\u201d. Leonardo Munoz<\/p>\n Chocolate is currently America\u2019s favorite flavor, according to the International Dairy Foods Association\u2019s (IDFA) biannual National Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty\u00a0Trends Survey,<\/a>\u00a0released in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n Butter pecan ranked second, followed by vanilla.<\/p>\n Steve Christensen, executive director of the North American Ice Cream Association, said he wasn\u2019t surprised that New England and the broader Northeast ranked high on the list of ice cream searches. He said the region has some of the\u00a0highest concentrations of ice cream shops\u00a0per capita.<\/p>\n Vermont has the strongest concentration of ice cream shops, with 18.51 shops per 100,000 residents, according to an analysis by Daily Herd.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York are also in the top 10.<\/p>\n The seasonality of many Northeast ice cream stores that have a \u201cbig launch at\u00a0the beginning of the season\u00a0and a big, grand finale at the end\u201d might add to the intensity of the searches, Christensen told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n A NY Staple, soft-serve ice cream and colorful sprinkles from an ice cream truck. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/p>\n Christensen, based in St. Louis, Missouri, also questioned the ranking of the Midwest in the Innerbody research.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Midwest\u00a0didn\u2019t really feature highly in some of the stats here,\u201d he said. \u201cThey love their butterfat. They love their sugar and their sweet things. They may have been misrepresented. The Midwest needs a little bit of an oomph when it comes to the ice cream stats in the study.\u201d<\/p>\n Midwesterners and Southerners \u201clove the rich flavors like\u00a0butter pecan\u00a0and black walnut,\u201d Christensen said the association has observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Meanwhile, those in the Northeast tend to gravitate to \u201cmore crisp, clean flavors, like mint\u201d \u2014 while the West Coast has \u201cvery strong emerging,\u00a0new-trend flavors like matcha<\/a>\u00a0and ube.\u201d<\/p>\n Internet search data shows that \u201cpeople are very passionate about their local brand and some of the origin states where their ice creams come from,\u201d Christensen said.<\/p>\n