Kernels of truth: Where do people eat the most candy corn? These states, according to Brach's

(NEXSTAR) — It’s that time of year where people must pick a side — either for or against candy corn.

The tri-color confection that crops up every Halloween can arguably be considered a treat. In recent years, however, a debate has been raging between those who adore the candies and those who would rather find an actual ear of corn inside their Halloween goodie bags.

But no matter which side screams the loudest (usually on Twitter), there’s still a huge demand for this stuff, and Brach’s is happy to continue filling our trick-or-treating troughs with it, like so much real corn to a pig.

This begs the question: Exactly who is eating this stuff?

Brach’s, surprisingly, has attempted to find out, digging into its sales data (both online and in-store) to determine which states purchase the most candy corn.

Calling Team Candy Corn! BRACH’S® Unveils List of Top 20 U.S. States that Consume the Most of the Classic Halloween Treat

It’s worth noting, though, that Brach’s has only determined which states buy the most candy corn, and not which states buy the most candy corn per capita. Therefore, the states that eat the most Brach’s candy corn are, largely, the states with the largest populations.

There are, however, a few states that seem to buck this trend. Iowa, for instance, is the 11^th largest purchaser of candy corn, despite having the 32nd largest population in the country. Kansas and Louisiana also ranked quite high for candy corn sales (12th and 13th), despite having relatively smaller populations than their sales would indicate (ranking 36^th and 25^th in the country, respectively).

On the other end of the spectrum, a few of the nation's more populous states were nowhere to be found in Brach’s list of candy-corn connoisseurs. Specifically, Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia — the 7th, 11th, and 12^th most populous states — were noticeably absent from Brach’s top 20. And Wisconsin, the 20^th most populous state, was actually among the bottom five.

A full list of the 20 states who purchase the most Brach’s candy corn — according to Brach's — can be found below.

1. California
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Michigan
6. Illinois
7. Pennsylvania
8. North Carolina
9. Georgia
10. Indiana
11. Iowa
12. Kansas
13. Louisiana
14. Maryland
15. Massachusetts
16. Arizona
17. Minnesota
18. Mississippi
19. Kentucky
20. Washington

Brach's, a confection company owned by the Ferrara Candy Company, is the nation's largest producer of candy corn. (Jelly Belly was the first to market the candy.) An estimated 35 billion pounds of candy corn are produced annually, according to the National Confectioner's Association.