California leads the nation in ice cream consumption, supported by over 4,200 ice cream shops that attract thousands of visitors annually. Zippia used data from Gravy Analytics to measure consumption by state based on shop size and attendance. California ranks prominently in per-capita ice cream expenditures, with SiteSeer finding 10 of the top 25 cities located in the state. San Francisco ranked third, with average spending of $43.75 per person per year. California also had the largest U.S. population in 2024, contributing to overall higher ice cream totals. Minnesota ranked lowest, while Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi ranked near the bottom.
Ice cream might be the ultimate summer treat. Its cold, frozen nature means it easily cools you down on a hot day while providing you a sweet hit of flavor. Ice cream also brings back memories of warm summer days off school in childhood. Given this, it should come as no surprise that the state that eats the most ice cream is a warm, sunny locale: California.
Zippia used data from Gravy Analytics to determine which U.S. state eats the most ice cream based on its size and attendance at local ice cream parlors. California came in first, as there are over 4,200 ice cream shops in the state that see thousands of visitors yearly. California is a significant producer of ice cream as well, explaining the popularity of the treat in the state.
In addition, when analyzing what markets spend the most on ice cream per capita, SiteSeer found that 10 of the top 25 cities for ice cream expenditures were in California, taking up more real estate on the list than any other individual state. San Francisco specifically earned third on the list, just behind New York and Honolulu with each person spending an average of $43.75 per year.
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