How many cows are in the U.S.? The United States is home to approximately **** million cattle and calves as of 2024, dropping slightly from the 2023 value. Cattle farming in the United States There are over ***** times more beef cows than milk cows living in the United States. Raising cattle is notoriously expensive, not only in terms of land, feed, and equipment, but also in terms of the environmental impact of consuming beef. Beef and milk have the highest carbon footprints of any type of food in the United States. U.S. milk market The volume of milk produced in the United States has been steadily increasing over the last several years. In 2023, total milk production in the U.S. was about ***** billion pounds, up from ***** billion pounds in 2010. ********** is the leading producer of milk of any U.S. state, generating approximately ** billion pounds of milk in 2022. Wisconsin came in second, producing about **** billion pounds of milk in that year.

In the U.S., there have been approximately three times more beef cows than dairy cows each year since 2001. As of 2024, it was estimated that there were about 28 million beef cows and only about 9.3 million dairy cows. Beef vs. dairy cows Both beef and dairy cows are bred for their respective purposes and farmers often look for different qualities in each. Dairy cows are often bigger, as they can produce a larger volume of milk. Beef cows on the other hand are generally shorter and there is more emphasis on their muscle growth, among other qualities. In 2022, over 28 billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States. U.S. milk production and consumption The United States was among the top consumers of milk worldwide in 2022, surpassed only by India and the European Union. The annual consumption of milk in the U.S. that year was just under 21 million metric tons. To keep up with this level of consumption, milk production in the U.S. has increased by over 60 billion pounds since 1999 and is expected to exceed 228 billion pounds by 2023. California and Wisconsin were the top producing states as of 2022, producing about 41.8 and 31.9 billion pounds of milk, respectively.

United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr: Milk Cows data was reported at 9,349.300 Head th in 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,346.800 Head th for 2024. United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr: Milk Cows data is updated yearly, averaging 9,349.300 Head th from Dec 1926 (Median) to 2025, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,450.400 Head th in 2021 and a record low of 9,208.600 Head th in 2014. United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr: Milk Cows data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic Research Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.RI018: Cattle Inventory.

The US beef cattle production industry is currently marked by tight supply conditions and elevated prices. Over recent years, persistent drought conditions have led to significant herd liquidation, with beef cow numbers falling to historic lows. This contraction has created a bottleneck in calf production and feeder cattle availability, sustaining high cattle prices. In tandem, elevated feed costs have pressured prices upwards and profit down, driving revenue as cattle producers seek to pass on costs and prevent further profit declines. As herd rebuilding has remained slow, cattle supplies have remained low and kept prices high even as feed, energy and other key agricultural input costs have declined from their highs in 2022. Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 6.0% during the current period to reach an estimated $95.9 billion after declining by 2.4% in 2025 as reduced consumption and supplies limit sales. Consumer preferences are shifting in the beef cattle production industry. There is an increasing awareness of environmental and health-related concerns associated with beef consumption. Consequently, many consumers are reducing their intake of conventional beef, turning instead towards more sustainable options and alternatives that are perceived as healthier or higher quality, such as grass-fed and organic beef. This shift has spurred growth in these segments as consumers look for transparency and ethical farming practices. Retailers and restaurants have responded accordingly by offering more options that align with these consumer preferences. However, these trends also pose challenges, especially for smaller producers who face significant costs associated with transitioning to sustainable practices or achieving certifications like organic or "sustainably raised." Though opportunities for growth will continue to present themselves, the outlook for the industry as a whole does not look as positive in the next five years. Poultry, pork and plant-based proteins will threaten beef demand as they appeal to health-conscious customers, particularly as cattle prices are elevated. Climate change will also continue to introduce environmental pressures, demanding resilience and adaptability from producers. Periods of stable weather could facilitate herd rebuilding, leading to increased cattle supplies and dropping prices, but continued climatic fluctuations and extreme weather events could reduce the consistency of production and increase revenue volatility. Advancements in technology, such as drones and wearable sensors, promise to help optimize cattle management, improving operational efficiencies and animal welfare. These innovations, however, require investment and broader accessibility through government support to ensure equitable adoption across the industry. Additionally, while global trade disruptions remain a concern due to disease outbreaks and geopolitical tensions, US producers will have opportunities in niche market segments to differentiate themselves, counterbalancing some of these pressures. Overall, revenue for cattle producers is forecast to decline through 2030 at a CAGR of 0.4% to $94.0 billion.

The Census of Agriculture, produced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides a complete count of America's farms, ranches and the people who grow our food. The census is conducted every five years, most recently in 2022, and provides an in-depth look at the agricultural industry. This layer was produced from data obtained from the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) Large Datasets download page. The data were transformed and prepared for publishing using the Pivot Table geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS Pro and joined to county boundaries. The county boundaries are 2022 vintage and come from Living Atlas ACS 2022 feature layers.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: Cattle productionGeographic Extent: 48 contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto RicoProjection: Web Mercator Auxiliary SphereSource: USDA National Agricultural Statistics ServiceUpdate Frequency: 5 yearsData Vintage: 2022Publication Date: April 2024AttributesNote that some values are suppressed as "Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations", "Not applicable", or "Less than half the rounding unit". These have been coded in the data as -999, -888, and -777 respectively. You should account for these values when symbolizing or doing any calculations.Many cattle production commodity fields are broken out into 6 or 7 ranges based on the number of head of cattle. For space reasons, a general sample of the fields is listed here.Commodities included in this layer: Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (By number of head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - InventoryCattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations with Inventory - Inventory of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (By number of head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations with InventoryCattle, Calves - Operations with Sales - Sales of Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Calves - Operations with SalesCattle, Calves - Sales, Measured in Head - Sales of Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured in HeadCattle, Calves, Veal, Raised or Sold - Number of OperationsCattle, Cows - Inventory; Cattle, Cows - Operations with InventoryCattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory of Beef Cows: (By number of head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - InventoryCattle, Cows, Beef - Operations with Inventory - Inventory of Beef Cows: (By number of head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations with InventoryCattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory of Milk Cows: (By number of head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - InventoryCattle, Cows, Milk - Operations with Inventory - Inventory of Milk Cows: (By number of head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations with InventoryCattle, >= 500 lbs - Operations with Sales - Sales of Cattle >= 500 lbs: (By number of head)Cattle, >= 500 lbs - Operations with SalesCattle, >= 500 lbs - Sales, Measured in Head - Sales of Cattle >= 500 lbs: (By number of head)Cattle, >= 500 lbs - Sales, Measured in HeadCattle, Heifers, >= 500 lbs, Milk Replacement, Production Contract - Operations with ProductionCattle, Heifers, >= 500 lbs, Milk Replacement, Production Contract - Production, Measured in HeadCattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory of Cattle, Incl Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Incl Calves - InventoryCattle, Incl Calves - Operations with Inventory - Inventory of Cattle, Incl Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations with InventoryCattle, Incl Calves - Operations with Sales - Sales of Cattle, Incl Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations with SalesCattle, Incl Calves - Sales, Measured in US Dollars ($)Cattle, Incl Calves - Sales, Measured in Head - Sales of Cattle, Incl Calves: (By number of head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Sales, Measured in HeadCattle, On Feed - Inventory - Inventory of Cattle On Feed: (By number of head)Cattle, On Feed - InventoryCattle, On Feed - Operations with Inventory - Inventory of Cattle On Feed: (By number of head)Cattle, On Feed - Operations with InventoryCattle, On Feed - Operations with Sales For Slaughter - Sales of Cattle On Feed: (By number of head)Cattle, On Feed - Operations with Sales For SlaughterCattle, On Feed - Sales For Slaughter, Measured in Head - Sales of Cattle On Feed: (By number of head)Cattle, On Feed - Sales For Slaughter, Measured in HeadCattle, Production Contract, On Feed - Operations with ProductionCattle, Production Contract, On Feed - Production, Measured in HeadGeography NoteIn Alaska, one or more county-equivalent entities (borough, census area, city, municipality) are included in an agriculture census area.What can you do with this layer?This layer is designed for data visualization. Identify features by clicking on the map to reveal the pre-configured pop-up. You may change the field(s) being symbolized. When symbolizing other fields, you will need to update the popup accordingly. Simple summary statistics are supported by this data.Questions?Please leave a comment below if you have a question about this layer, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Cattle and calves, number by class and calf crop, United States (head x 1,000). Data are available on an annual basis.

Number of Businesses statistics on the Beef Cattle Production industry in the US

This statistic shows the number of milk cows in the U.S. from 1999 to 2024. According to the report, there were approximately *** million milk cows in the United States in 2024, down from about *** million milk cows in 2022.

In 2025, Brazil was the leading cattle producer in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an estimate of about 47.8 million heads of cattle. Ranking second was Argentina, with about 14.8 million heads of cattle, and it was followed by Mexico, where cattle production reached over 8.7 million heads.

The environmental impacts of beef cattle production and their effects on the overall sustainability of beef have become a national and international concern. Our objective was to quantify important environmental impacts of beef cattle production in the United States. Surveys and visits of farms, ranches and feedlots were conducted throughout seven regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northern Plains, Southern Plains, Northwest and Southwest) to determine common practices and characteristics of cattle production. These data along with other information sources were used to create about 150 representative production systems throughout the country, which were simulated with the Integrated Farm System Model using local soil and climate data. The simulations quantified the performance and environmental impacts of beef cattle production systems for each region. A farm-gate life cycle assessment was used to quantify resource use and emissions for all production systems including traditional beef breeds and cull animals from the dairy industry. Regional and national totals were determined as the sum of the production system outputs multiplied by the number of cattle represented by each simulated system. The average annual greenhouse gas and reactive N emissions associated with beef cattle production over the past five years were determined to be 243 ± 26 Tg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) and 1760 ± 136 Gg N, respectively. Total fossil energy use was found to be 569 ± 53 PJ and blue water consumption was 23.2 ± 3.5 TL. Environmental intensities expressed per kg of carcass weight produced were 21.3 ± 2.3 kg CO2e, 155 ± 12 g N, 50.0 ± 4.7 MJ, and 2034 ± 309 L, respectively. These farm-gate values are being combined with post farm-gate sources of packing, processing, distribution, retail, consumption and waste handling to produce a full life cycle assessment of U.S. beef. This study is the most detailed, yet comprehensive, study conducted to date to provide baseline measures for the sustainability of U.S. beef. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Appendix A. Supplementary Data - Tables S1 to S8 (docx). File Name: Web Page, url: https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0308521X18305675-mmc1.docx Direct download, docx.

Table S1. Important characteristics of farms and ranches simulated throughout seven regions of the U.S.

Table S2. Important characteristics of representative finishing facilities simulated in seven regions of the U.S.

Table S3. Important characteristics of dairy farms simulated throughout seven regions of the U.S.

Table S4. Summary of 25 years of weather data (daily solar radiation, daily mean temperature, annual precipitation and daily wind speed)1 used to simulate beef cattle operations in each area of the eastern regions.

Table S5. Soil characteristics used for locations simulated across the U.S.

Table S6. Cattle numbers by state and region as obtained or estimated from NASS (2017).

Table S7. Cattle numbers by state and region divided between traditional beef and dairy breeds as obtained or estimated from NASS (2017).

Table S8. Important resource inputs and emissions from representative cow-calf, stocker / background and feedlot operations expressed per unit of final carcass weight (CW) produced.

This statistic shows the ten U.S. states with the highest inventory of cattle and calves in 2019. In 2019, Nebraska came in second place, where the number stood at around 6.8 million cattle and calves that year.

Explore the ongoing challenges in the US cattle industry as low cattle numbers and high beef prices impact consumers and major companies. Learn about the factors influencing the market and future expectations.

This dataset displays the annual import and export figures of cattle to and from the United States. Data is primarily available for Canada and Mexico. These statistics represent the head count of cattle traded.

The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture every five years of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the 2012 Census of Agriculture collected more than six million data items directly from farmers. The Ag Census Web Maps application makes this information available at the county level through a few clicks. The maps and accompanying data help users visualize, download, and analyze Census of Agriculture data in a geospatial context. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Ag Census Web Maps. File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2012/Online_Resources/Ag_Census_Web_Maps/Overview/index.php/ The interactive map application assembles maps and statistics from the 2012 Census of Agriculture in five broad categories:

Crops and Plants – Data on harvested acreage for major field crops, hay, and other forage crops, as well as acreage data for vegetables, fruits, tree nuts, and berries. Economics – Data on agriculture sales, farm income, government payments from conservation and farm programs, amounts received from loans, a broad range of production expenses, and value of buildings and equipment. Farms – Information on farm size, ownership, and Internet access, as well as data on total land in farms, land use, irrigation, fertilized cropland, and enrollment in crop insurance programs. Livestock and Animals – Statistics on cattle and calves, cows and heifers, milk cows, and other cattle, as well as hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and broilers. Operators – Statistics on hired farm labor, tenure, land rented or leased, primary occupation of farm operator, and demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and residence location.

The Ag Census Web Maps application allows you to:

Select a map to display from a the above five general categories and associated subcategories. Zoom and pan to a specific area; use the inset buttons to center the map on the continental United States; zoom to a specific state; and show the state mask to fade areas surrounding the state. Create and print maps showing the variation in a single data item across the United States (for example, average value of agricultural products sold per farm). Select a county and view and download the county’s data for a general category. Download the U.S. county-level dataset of mapped values for all categories in Microsoft ® Excel format.

The Census of Agriculture, produced by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA), provides a complete count of America's farms, ranches and the people who grow our food. The census is conducted every five years, most recently in 2017, and provides an in-depth look at the agricultural industry.This layer summarizes cattle production from the 2017 Census of Agriculture at the county level.This layer was produced from data downloaded using the USDA's QuickStats Application. The data was transformed using the Pivot Table tool in ArcGIS Pro and joined to the county boundary file provided by the USDA. The layer was published as feature layer in ArcGIS Online. Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: 2017 Cattle ProductionCoordinate System: Web Mercator Auxiliary SphereExtent: 48 Contiguous United States, Alaska, and HawaiiVisible Scale: All ScalesSource: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service QuickStats ApplicationPublication Date: 2017AttributesThis layer provides values for the following attributes. Note that some values are not disclosed (coded as -1 in the layer) to protect the privacy of producers in areas with limited production.Cattle - Operations with SalesCattle - Sales in US DollarsCattle - Sales in HeadDairy - Operations with SalesDairy - Sales in US DollarsAdditionally attributes of State Name, State Code, County Name and County Code are included to facilitate cartography and use with other layers.What can you do with this layer?This layer can be used throughout the ArcGIS system. Feature layers can be used just like any other vector layer. You can use feature layers as an input to geoprocessing tools in ArcGIS Pro or in Analysis in ArcGIS Online. Combine the layer with others in a map and set custom symbology or create a pop-up tailored for your users.For the details of working with feature layers the help documentation for ArcGIS Pro or the help documentation for ArcGIS Online are great places to start. The ArcGIS Blog is a great source of ideas for things you can do with feature layers.This layer is part of ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World that provides an easy way to find and explore many other beautiful and authoritative layers, maps, and applications on hundreds of topics.

The total beef production in the United States is estimated to be 26.96 billion pounds in 2023, down from 28.29 billion pounds in the previous year. Over the last two decades, the total U.S. beef production has fluctuated slightly but remained stable overall.

Beef retail in the United States Beef has the highest retail sales of any fresh meat in the United States, as of 2021. In that year, over 30 billion U.S. dollars worth of fresh beef were sold in the United States. The retail price for 100 percent ground beef in the United States was 4.8 U.S. dollars per pound in 2022, up from 3.95 U.S. dollars in 2020. Beef brisket, on the other hand, was priced on average around 8.84 U.S. dollars per pound in major grocery retailers.

U.S. beef consumption The United States consumes more beef than any other country in the world. Consumption of beef amounted to around 59 pounds per capita on an annual basis. This was projected to decrease slowly until 2032.

Graph and download economic data for Employment for Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting: Cattle Ranching and Farming (NAICS 1121) in the United States (IPUAN1121W200000000) from 1987 to 2024 about cattle, livestock, hunting, forestry, fishing, agriculture, NAICS, IP, employment, and USA.

This dataset provides livestock data for US Counties within the contiguous US. Census data of cattle, poultry (fowl), hogs, horses and sheep are provided. These data are estimated counts for 1990 based on an average of 1987 and 1992 census data from US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the US Census Bureau.

EOS-WEBSTER provides seven datasets which provide county-level data on agricultural management, crop production, livestock, soil properties, geography and population. These datasets were assembled during the mid-1990's to provide driving variables for an assessment of greenhouse gas production from US agriculture using the DNDC agro-ecosystem model [see, for example, Li et al. (1992), J. Geophys. Res., 97:9759-9776; Li et al. (1996) Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 10:297-306]. The data (except nitrogen fertilizer use) were all derived from publicly available, national databases. Each dataset has a separate DIF.

The US County data has been divided into seven datasets.

US County Data Datasets:

1) Agricultural Management 2) Crop Data (NASS Crop data) 3) Crop Summary (NASS Crop data) 4) Geography and Population 5) Land Use 6) Livestock Populations 7) Soil Properties

United States PPI: Farm Products: Slaughter Livestock: Cattle: Vealers data was reported at 70.200 1982=100 in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 70.000 1982=100 for Sep 2018. United States PPI: Farm Products: Slaughter Livestock: Cattle: Vealers data is updated monthly, averaging 72.100 1982=100 from Dec 1957 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 721 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 143.400 1982=100 in Apr 1989 and a record low of 32.900 1982=100 in Jan 2003. United States PPI: Farm Products: Slaughter Livestock: Cattle: Vealers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.I017: Producer Price Index: By Commodities.

Graph and download economic data for Producer Price Index by Commodity: Farm Products: Slaughter Cattle (WPU0131) from Jan 1947 to Aug 2025 about slaughter, cattle, livestock, agriculture, commodities, PPI, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.