The 3 US States Where Fanta Is The Most Popular Soda

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Anyone tasked with guessing the most popular soda in the United States might say Coca-Cola — and they'd be correct. According to a 2025 study by Power Brands, Coke is the top pick in 14 states, followed by Dr Pepper in nine and Sprite in six. Then there's Fanta. The fizzy, orange-flavored beverage is the soda of choice in California, Hawaii, and Oregon.

Fanta is a highly recognizable brand name in the U.S., but it's less commonly consumed than other sodas. Still, Fanta is more adored than you may realize. After a decades-long hiatus, Coca-Cola brought its fruity soda back in 2001 with surprising success. As of 2025, Fanta was the fourth-largest carbonated soft drink brand on earth by volume. So why are its American fans so seemingly concentrated?

California and Hawaii, in particular, were sites for targeted promotion over the years. Sales efforts focused on these states have included experiential attractions, limited-edition collaborations with local businesses, and regional test markets. All three states have diverse populations (each with high or growing numbers of Asian and Latino immigrants, two groups that historically enjoy Fanta), not to mention a penchant for craft food and drink. While the reason behind Fanta's popularity in these states isn't cut-and-dry, it demonstrates that the colorful soda's reputation precedes it, even in the shadow of bigger brands.

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Fanta's most devout consumers are largely outside the United States. Despite its stronghold in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, some Americans feel Fanta is underrated, eclipsed by other popular soda brands. On the other hand, Fanta is a leading soda brand in West Africa. It's also a hit amongst the Latino community, and took off in Europe with a vengeance. It's so big in Brazil, Germany, and South Africa that it occasionally steals the crown from Coca-Cola. A wider variety of flavors exists outside the country, too (Fanta flavors sold in Japan include melon and Mystery Blue). Some American Fanta fans even try collecting them.

The colorful soft drink was invented in Germany, which could have contributed to its international status. Fanta has troubling wartime origins – it was created for the Nazis during World War II as an alternative to hard-to-import Coca-Cola syrup. The timing of its inception inspired a major following, though it likely didn't taste anything like Fanta sold today (the original was made from byproducts, like cheese whey and apple fibers left on cider presses). It was also used as a sweetener in baked goods and soups.

Once it came stateside in 1958, Fanta was marketed as an orange-flavored soda. Of the O.G. American lineup, it's no doubt the flavor most associated with the brand, though options like grape, pineapple, and strawberry are also widely sold in the U.S., even in states where other sodas are more popular.