New Jersey Tops 50-State Ice Cream Search Interest List
new jersey ranked No. 1 in ice cream search interest in Innerbody Research’s Google trends analysis, which measured queries from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. between April 2025 and April 2026. Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York followed in the top five.
The ranking uses search behavior, not sales or self-reported preferences. That leaves room for a disconnect: consumer searching does not always match what people buy, even as the list points to a heavy concentration of interest in the Northeast.
New Jersey and the Top Five
Innerbody Research said seven of the top 10 most enthusiastic states were on the East Coast, with New Hampshire at No. 6 and Maine at No. 8. Arkansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Wisconsin were the five least enthusiastic states in the search data.
Steve Christensen, executive director of the Missouri-based North American Ice Cream Association, said he wasn't surprised that New England and the broader Northeast ranked high on the list of ice cream searches. He said the Northeast has some of the highest concentrations of ice cream shops per capita.
Flavor Trends in April
Innerbody Research also found strawberry was the most searched-for ice cream flavor nationwide, with California, Texas and Michigan making it the favorite flavor in those states. Chocolate chip and cookie dough ranked ahead of plain chocolate and vanilla in the search data.
The search findings differ from purchase and survey data. Instacart reported in 2025 that vanilla was the most-ordered ice cream flavor in the summer of 2024 and accounted for 27% of all ice cream sold during that period. The International Dairy Foods Association, in its April National Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey, said chocolate is America's favorite flavor, followed by butter pecan and then vanilla.
Vermont Shop Density
The Northeast’s strong showing also fits a separate shop-density measure. Vermont has the strongest concentration of ice cream shops with 18.51 shops per 100,000 residents, according to an analysis by Daily Herd.
For readers in new jersey, the takeaway is simple: the state led the nation in ice cream search interest over a full year, but the broader market picture still depends on whether people are searching, buying or answering surveys.
