These 6 States Love Ice Cream The Most, According To A New Survey

July 20, 2025, is National Ice Cream Day, when we all rejoice at finally having a day specifically sanctioned for the enjoyment of sweet, creamy frozen dairy desserts. Whether you take your ice cream in a cone, cup, shake, or straight from the carton, you probably have very strong preferences for the ice cream brand and flavor for which you pine. In a fascinating nationwide survey commissioned by Undeniably Dairy and shared with Tasting Table, new information has been discovered about which U.S. states have most passionately expressed their undying devotion to all things ice cream.

According to the survey, which had over 5,000 respondents across the country, the states that love ice cream the most are Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The residents in these states scored an average of 8.9 out of 10 on the carefully calibrated ice cream enthusiasm scale. While everyone reading this probably thinks their own state should be crowned the Ice Cream Sovereign, we can assure you that the results of this survey are as solid as dondurma, the Turkish ice cream that you eat with a fork and knife.

In addition to finding out which U.S. states are the most unabashedly enthusiastic about ice cream, Undeniably Dairy's survey also shed some light on other fun ice cream facts. For one, chocolate was ranked as the most popular ice cream flavor in the country, earning 15% of the total votes. Despite the enduring popularity of vanilla ice cream, survey results show it tied for second place with mint chocolate chip. A whopping 72% of those surveyed said that ice cream is their all-time favorite dessert — not at all surprising to those of us in the know. But residents of New Jersey claim to be the biggest "ice cream connoisseurs," with 58% of NJ residents bestowing upon themselves the title of ice cream expert, according to the survey. 

Close behind and rapidly progressing on New Jersey's crown are New Mexico, California, Kansas, New York, and North Dakota. And while America may have named chocolate its all-time favorite flavor, Gen Z and Millennials would prefer cookies and cream ice cream (a flavor with a convoluted history), thank you. Another finding is that the most popular time to enjoy a sweet ice cream treat is Friday or Saturday at 5:42 p.m., which is oddly specific. When it comes to serving vessels, 49% of survey respondents preferred to eat their ice cream out of a bowl, 35% choose a cone, and 17% eat it straight from the carton (no shame). Overall, Americans rated their love for ice cream at 8.6 out of 10.