Introduction
The world’s largest producer of high-quality beef is the United States. As of 2022, beef farms made up more than 30% of all farms in the United States. The best measure for which state has the highest production of beef is the number of cows produced by each state.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), the United States herd of cattle is about 98.8 million heads; however, this is about a 2% decrease from 2021. Despite this, the USDA found cattle production to be the largest share of cash receipts for agricultural commodities in 2021, worth about $391 billion.
The federal government has limited assistance for beef production, it only offers emergency measures approved for a specific and limited scope and time frame. What counts as emergencies are typically : loss from disease, infestation, flood, hurricane, fire, severe storms, extreme heat and cold, and other natural disasters. Farmers, though, are lobbying Congress to reinvigorate the assistance for beef/cattle production.
Learn for yourself how beef production changes by state by looking at the data in the charts.
| # | State | Number of Cows | Replacement Heifer Beef Cow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 4,475,000 | 720,000 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 2,131,000 | 410,000 |
| 3 | Missouri | 1,941,000 | 310,000 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,832,000 | 370,000 |
| 5 | South Dakota | 1,610,000 | 375,000 |
| 6 | Kansas | 1,422,000 | 280,000 |
| 7 | Montana | 1,299,000 | 330,000 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 966,000 | 125,000 |
| 9 | North Dakota | 945,000 | 192,000 |
| 10 | Iowa | 925,000 | 160,000 |
| 11 | Arkansas | 905,000 | 145,000 |
| 12 | Florida | 895,000 | 130,000 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 893,000 | 120,000 |
| 14 | Wyoming | 681,000 | 145,000 |
| 15 | California | 680,000 | 125,000 |
| 16 | Alabama | 677,000 | 108,000 |
| 17 | Colorado | 638,000 | 135,000 |
| 18 | Virginia | 599,000 | 89,000 |
| 19 | Oregon | 505,000 | 100,000 |
| 20 | Idaho | 498,000 | 100,000 |
| 21 | Georgia | 487,000 | 100,000 |
| 22 | Mississippi | 478,000 | 91,000 |
| 23 | New Mexico | 453,000 | 70,000 |
| 24 | Louisiana | 451,000 | 80,000 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 366,000 | 62,000 |
| 26 | Minnesota | 360,000 | 85,000 |
| 27 | Illinois | 339,000 | 60,000 |
| 28 | Utah | 331,000 | 70,000 |
| 29 | Ohio | 312,000 | 70,000 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | 295,000 | 90,000 |
| 31 | Nevada | 244,000 | 38,000 |
| 32 | Washington | 224,000 | 55,000 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | 190,000 | 51,000 |
| 34 | West Virginia | 188,000 | 30,000 |
| 35 | Indiana | 184,000 | 35,000 |
| 36 | Arizona | 171,000 | 25,000 |
| 37 | South Carolina | 158,000 | 29,000 |
| 38 | New York | 100,000 | 40,000 |
| 39 | Michigan | 96,000 | 23,000 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 79,200 | 11,000 |
| 41 | Maryland | 42,000 | 9,000 |
| 42 | Vermont | 15,000 | 4,500 |
| 43 | Maine | 10,000 | 4,000 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | 8,000 | 3,000 |
| 45 | Alaska | 7,800 | 1,500 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 7,800 | 1,500 |
| 47 | Connecticut | 4,500 | 2,000 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | 4,000 | 1,200 |
| 49 | Delaware | 1,700 | 600 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 1,100 | 200 |
Number of Cows by State
Alabama
Number of Cows
677,000
Ranked in the US
#16
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
108,000
Ranked in the US
#17
Alaska
Number of Cows
7,800
Ranked in the US
#45
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
1,500
Ranked in the US
#46
Arizona
Number of Cows
171,000
Ranked in the US
#36
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
25,000
Ranked in the US
#38
Arkansas
Number of Cows
905,000
Ranked in the US
#11
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
145,000
Ranked in the US
#10
California
Number of Cows
680,000
Ranked in the US
#15
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
125,000
Ranked in the US
#14
Colorado
Number of Cows
638,000
Ranked in the US
#17
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
135,000
Ranked in the US
#12
Connecticut
Number of Cows
4,500
Ranked in the US
#47
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
2,000
Ranked in the US
#45
Delaware
Number of Cows
1,700
Ranked in the US
#49
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
600
Ranked in the US
#49
Florida
Number of Cows
895,000
Ranked in the US
#12
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
130,000
Ranked in the US
#13
Georgia
Number of Cows
487,000
Ranked in the US
#21
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
100,000
Ranked in the US
#18
Hawaii
Number of Cows
79,200
Ranked in the US
#40
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
11,000
Ranked in the US
#40
Idaho
Number of Cows
498,000
Ranked in the US
#20
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
100,000
Ranked in the US
#19
Illinois
Number of Cows
339,000
Ranked in the US
#27
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
60,000
Ranked in the US
#30
Indiana
Number of Cows
184,000
Ranked in the US
#35
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
35,000
Ranked in the US
#35
Iowa
Number of Cows
925,000
Ranked in the US
#10
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
160,000
Ranked in the US
#9
Kansas
Number of Cows
1,422,000
Ranked in the US
#6
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
280,000
Ranked in the US
#7
Kentucky
Number of Cows
966,000
Ranked in the US
#8
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
125,000
Ranked in the US
#15
Louisiana
Number of Cows
451,000
Ranked in the US
#24
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
80,000
Ranked in the US
#25
Maine
Number of Cows
10,000
Ranked in the US
#43
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
4,000
Ranked in the US
#43
Maryland
Number of Cows
42,000
Ranked in the US
#41
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
9,000
Ranked in the US
#41
Massachusetts
Number of Cows
8,000
Ranked in the US
#44
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
3,000
Ranked in the US
#44
Michigan
Number of Cows
96,000
Ranked in the US
#39
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
23,000
Ranked in the US
#39
Minnesota
Number of Cows
360,000
Ranked in the US
#26
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
85,000
Ranked in the US
#24
Mississippi
Number of Cows
478,000
Ranked in the US
#22
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
91,000
Ranked in the US
#21
Missouri
Number of Cows
1,941,000
Ranked in the US
#3
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
310,000
Ranked in the US
#6
Montana
Number of Cows
1,299,000
Ranked in the US
#7
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
330,000
Ranked in the US
#5
Nebraska
Number of Cows
1,832,000
Ranked in the US
#4
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
370,000
Ranked in the US
#4
Nevada
Number of Cows
244,000
Ranked in the US
#31
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
38,000
Ranked in the US
#34
New Hampshire
Number of Cows
4,000
Ranked in the US
#48
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
1,200
Ranked in the US
#48
New Jersey
Number of Cows
7,800
Ranked in the US
#46
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
1,500
Ranked in the US
#47
New Mexico
Number of Cows
453,000
Ranked in the US
#23
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
70,000
Ranked in the US
#26
New York
Number of Cows
100,000
Ranked in the US
#38
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
40,000
Ranked in the US
#33
North Carolina
Number of Cows
366,000
Ranked in the US
#25
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
62,000
Ranked in the US
#29
North Dakota
Number of Cows
945,000
Ranked in the US
#9
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
192,000
Ranked in the US
#8
Ohio
Number of Cows
312,000
Ranked in the US
#29
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
70,000
Ranked in the US
#27
Oklahoma
Number of Cows
2,131,000
Ranked in the US
#2
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
410,000
Ranked in the US
#2
Oregon
Number of Cows
505,000
Ranked in the US
#19
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
100,000
Ranked in the US
#20
Pennsylvania
Number of Cows
190,000
Ranked in the US
#33
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
51,000
Ranked in the US
#32
Rhode Island
Number of Cows
1,100
Ranked in the US
#50
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
200
Ranked in the US
#50
South Carolina
Number of Cows
158,000
Ranked in the US
#37
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
29,000
Ranked in the US
#37
South Dakota
Number of Cows
1,610,000
Ranked in the US
#5
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
375,000
Ranked in the US
#3
Tennessee
Number of Cows
893,000
Ranked in the US
#13
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
120,000
Ranked in the US
#16
Texas
Number of Cows
4,475,000
Ranked in the US
#1
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
720,000
Ranked in the US
#1
Utah
Number of Cows
331,000
Ranked in the US
#28
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
70,000
Ranked in the US
#28
Vermont
Number of Cows
15,000
Ranked in the US
#42
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
4,500
Ranked in the US
#42
Virginia
Number of Cows
599,000
Ranked in the US
#18
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
89,000
Ranked in the US
#23
Washington
Number of Cows
224,000
Ranked in the US
#32
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
55,000
Ranked in the US
#31
West Virginia
Number of Cows
188,000
Ranked in the US
#34
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
30,000
Ranked in the US
#36
Wisconsin
Number of Cows
295,000
Ranked in the US
#30
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
90,000
Ranked in the US
#22
Wyoming
Number of Cows
681,000
Ranked in the US
#14
Replacement Heifer Beef Cow
145,000
Ranked in the US
#11