New Jersey, New Mexico Top List Of America’s Ice Cream Aficionados, Survey Finds

New Jersey is home to the country’s most ice cream connoisseurs in America, and the state is also tied for first place as home to the most ice cream lovers, according to a new nationwide survey.

The survey of 5,000 Americans — 100 from each state — conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Undeniably Dairy in honor of National Ice Cream Month this July, found that 58% of New Jersey respondents identify themselves as experts in the frozen desserts, followed by New Mexico (56%), and a four-way tie for third place between California, Kansas, New York and North Dakota at 55% each.

The survey also asked respondents to rate their love of ice cream on a scale from one to 10, and found Americans on average gave an 8.6 rating, with 72% saying its their all-time favorite dessert. Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas all tied for loving ice cream the most, with each scoring an 8.9 on average.

When it comes to frequency, Delaware leads the country with residents eating ice cream an average of four days per week, followed by New Mexico and Wyoming at 3.9 days.

As for the flavors that Americans reach for most often, chocolate topped the list with 15% of the vote, edging out vanilla and mint chocolate chip, which tied at 12%. Butter pecan (10%), cookies and cream (9%), and cookie dough (8%) were also high-ranking favorites. Interestingly, taste preferences varied by age group: both Gen Z (18%) and millennials (17%) preferred cookies and cream, while Gen X (15%) and baby boomers (16%) were more partial to chocolate.

Emerging flavors gaining curiosity this summer include black raspberry (27%), toasted marshmallow (24%), and peach (22%). Praline and lavender also made the list, drawing interest from 14% and 11% of respondents, respectively.

The survey also delved into Americans habits around ice cream consumption. Most people prefer eating it from a bowl (49%), though cones (35%) and eating straight from the carton (17%) also ranked high. The average time Americans reported indulging in ice cream was 5:42 p.m., with Friday and Saturday being the most popular days of the week for a scoop.

In terms of toppings, hot fudge reigned supreme with 48% favoring it, followed by caramel sauce (40%), chocolate syrup (39%), and whipped cream (36%). Other popular choices included chopped nuts, cookie crumbles, and peanut butter cups.

High-protein desserts are also trending, with 39% of respondents saying it’s a priority in their ice cream choices. Nearly one in five Americans (18%) even said they plan to make their own ice cream at home this summer, a fitting activity as nearly half of all respondents agreed that a hot summer day is the best time to enjoy it.