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.

How many cattle are in the world? The global live cattle population amounted to about 1.57 billion heads in 2023, up from approximately 1.51 million in 2021. Cows as livestock The domestication of cattle began as early as 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. From ancient times up to the present, cattle are bred to provide meat and dairy. Cattle are also employed as draft animals to plow the fields or transport heavy objects. Cattle hide is used for the production of leather, and dung for fuel and agricultural fertilizer. In 2022, India was home to the highest number of milk cows in the world. Cattle farming in the United States Cattle meat such as beef and veal is one of the most widely consumed types of meat across the globe, and is particularly popular in the United States. The United States is the top producer of beef and veal of any country worldwide. In 2021, beef production in the United States reached 12.6 million metric tons. Beef production appears to be following a positive trend in the United States. More than 33.07 million cattle were slaughtered both commercially and in farms annually in the United States in 2019, up from 33 million in the previous year.

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.

In 2022, Brazil was the leading cattle producer in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an estimate of about 48 million heads of cattle. Ranking second was Argentina, with about 13.7 million heads of cattle, and it was followed by Mexico, where cattle production reached over eight million heads.

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

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

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 further pressured prices upwards, driving revenue as cattle producers seek to pass on costs and maintain their heightened profit. 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 6.3% during the current period to reach an estimated $97.3 billion after declining by 1.0% in 2025. 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 and perceived healthier alternatives 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 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 1.5% to $90.4 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.

This EnviroAtlas dataset summarizes by county the number of farm operations with dairy cows and the number of heads they manage. The data come from the Census of Agriculture, which is administered every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and include the years 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. The Census classifies cattle managed on operations as beef cows, dairy cows, or other cattle (which encompasses heifers, steers, bulls, and calves). Only data regarding dairy cows are displayed in this layer. Operations are categorized into small, medium, or large, based on how many heads they manage. For each county and Census year, the dataset reports the number of farm operations that manage dairy cows, the number of heads on their property at the end of the Census year, and a breakdown of the operations into small, medium, and large. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

This dataset provides information on the number of milk cows, production of milk per cow and total milk production by state and region in the United States from the year 1970 to 2021.

This statistic shows the number of milk cows in the U.S. from 1999 to 2023. According to the report, there were approximately 9.3 million milk cows in the United States in 2023, down from about 9.4 million milk cows in 2022.

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: 2022 Cattle ProductionCoordinate System: Web Mercator Auxiliary SphereExtent: 48 Contiguous United States, Alaska, and HawaiiSource: USDA National Agricultural Statistics ServicePublication Date: 2022AttributesNote 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.Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (500 Or More Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - InventoryCattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, (Excl Cows): (500 Or More Head)Cattle, (Excl Cows) - Operations With InventoryCattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Calves: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Calves - Operations With SalesCattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Calves: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Calves - Sales, Measured In HeadCattle, Calves, Veal, Raised Or Sold - Number Of OperationsCattle, Cows - InventoryCattle, Cows - Operations With InventoryCattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - InventoryCattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Beef Cows: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Cows, Beef - Operations With InventoryCattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - InventoryCattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Milk Cows: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Cows, Milk - Operations With InventoryCattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Operations With SalesCattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, >= 500 Lbs - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle >= 500 Lbs: (500 Or More 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: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - InventoryCattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Inventory - Inventory Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (500 Or More Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With InventoryCattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (20 To 49 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (50 To 99 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (100 To 199 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (200 To 499 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Operations With Sales - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (500 Or More 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: (1 To 9 Head)Cattle, Incl Calves - Sales, Measured In Head - Sales Of Cattle, Incl Calves: (10 To 19 Head)Cattle, Incl

United States Livestock & Poultry Slaughter: Commercial: Beef Cows data was reported at 209.829 Head th in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 190.270 Head th for Feb 2025. United States Livestock & Poultry Slaughter: Commercial: Beef Cows data is updated monthly, averaging 270.874 Head th from Jan 1955 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 843 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 666.414 Head th in Oct 1975 and a record low of 154.115 Head th in Aug 2015. United States Livestock & Poultry Slaughter: Commercial: Beef 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.RI014: Livestock and Poultry Slaughter.

This EnviroAtlas dataset summarizes by county the number of farm operations with beef cows and the number of heads they manage. The data come from the Census of Agriculture, which is administered every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and include the years 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. The Census classifies cattle managed on operations as beef cows, dairy cows, or other cattle (which encompasses heifers, steers, bulls, and calves). Only data regarding beef cows are displayed in this layer. Operations are categorized into small, medium, or large, based on how many heads they manage. For each county and Census year, the dataset reports the number of farm operations that manage beef cows, the number of heads on their property at the end of the Census year, and a breakdown of the operations into small, medium, and large. This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

United States Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd January to June: Percent Entering: from January to June data was reported at 45.024 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 47.881 % for 2022. United States Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd January to June: Percent Entering: from January to June data is updated yearly, averaging 44.379 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2023, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 47.881 % in 2022 and a record low of 40.803 % in 2021. United States Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd January to June: Percent Entering: from January to June 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.

United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr data was reported at 37,212.800 Head th in 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37,359.800 Head th for 2024. United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr data is updated yearly, averaging 39,476.200 Head th from Dec 1926 (Median) to 2025, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 40,994.100 Head th in 2019 and a record low of 37,212.800 Head th in 2025. United States Cattle Inventory: Cattle & Calves: Cows & Heifers That Have Calved: At the Beginning of the Yr 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.

Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd July to December: Percent Entering from July to December data was reported at 22.335 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 22.878 % for 2022. Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd July to December: Percent Entering from July to December data is updated yearly, averaging 21.009 % from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2023, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.878 % in 2022 and a record low of 15.419 % in 2020. Cattle Inventory: Beef Heifers Entering Cow Herd July to December: Percent Entering from July to December 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.

California was the leading U.S. state in terms of the overall number of milk cows, with a total of over 1.7 million milk cows as of 2024. The total number of milk cows on farms in the United States shows that California holds a significant share of the total number of milk cows in the country. Unsurprisingly, California is also the leading milk producing state in the United States. Dairy industry in the U.S. According to the USDA, milk from U.S. farms is 90 percent water, with milk fat and skim solids making up the remaining 10 percent. Cow milk is a component of several dietary staples, such as cheese, butter, and yoghurt. Dairy is a very important industry in the United States, with this sector alone creating significant employment throughout the United States. The overall income of dairy farms in the U.S. amounted to about 51.3 billion U.S. dollars. Holtsein is the most popular breed of dairy cow farmed in the United States. Holstein have the highest milk production per cow in comparison to any other breed. Where is the U.S. positioned in the global dairy market? Topped only by the EU-27, the United States ranks as the second largest cow milk producer in the world, followed by India, Russia, and China. The United States also features among the top ten global milk exporters. The outlook for the future of the industry is also good, with milk production in the United States projected to steadily increase over the next years.

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 RESOURCE IS NO LONGER IN SERVICE, documented on July 16, 2013. The objective of the project is the standardization of micro-satellite markers used within participating laboratories, use of DNA markers to define genetic diversity and to enable monitoring of breeds to promote conservation programs where required, and the determination of diversity present in rare and local breeds across Europe. The blood typing laboratories are now beginning to use micro-satellite markers as an alternative to serology for parentage verification, and are selecting a common set to be used from the several hundred micro-satellite markers available that cover the bovine genome, produced as part of the Bovine genome mapping project (See BovMaP). Work with micro-satellite markers has shown that they are valuable tools for examining genetic diversity and phylogeny in many species. However, for work carried out in different laboratories to be comparable, it is essential that the same markers are used. To maintain the compatibility of data generated by the various typing labs, it is essential that all laboratories adopt the same markers and typing protocols. It is therefore of paramount importance that the blood typing laboratories and research labs that are examining the genetic structure of the cattle populations adopt a common panel of the best micro-satellite markers available. Some pilot comparative work has been undertaken through the International Society for Animal Genetics, but so far this has only involved the blood typing laboratories. One objective of this project is to facilitate the comparison of the micro-satellite markers currently in use in the different types of laboratory and determine the efficiency of the markers available in revealing genetic differences within and among breeds. It will also be important to compare the use of markers in different laboratories to determine how robust they are and how easily results can be compared. From comparison of the markers, those that are most suitable will be selected to form a panel which will be recommended for pedigree validation and genetic surveys. Cattle are an important source of food in Europe, and intense selection has resulted in the development of specialized breeds. Selection for high-producing dairy cattle has been successful, but one associated drawback is that the cattle population, both in Europe and North America, has been skewed dramatically towards one breed, the Holstein/Friesian. So there has been a decline in the number of individuals of other breeds, and hence a general erosion of the genetic base of the cattle population. The progressive move towards the North American-type Holstein animals has also resulted in the requirement for high input/high output farming and intensive management schemes. The impact of this on the environment has been significant, e.g. pollution problems arising from the need for high nitrogen fertilizers to produce sufficient high quality fodder, and disposal problems associated with slurry waste. Poorer areas of the community have been unable to compete with such farming systems, and are more suited to low input/low output farming using traditional stock. It is however the future perspective that is of greatest concern. It is impossible to predict requirements for cattle production - quality, production type, management systems, etc. The ability to switch rapidly to alternative production will be dependent on the genetic base of the population available to selection programs. It is therefore essential to maintain the greatest genetic diversity possible in the cattle population. Whilst current farming practices are perceived to be both efficient and acceptable, the breeds less favored by commercial farmers will dwindle. It is therefore important that on an European scale efficient management of these breeds maintains the widest genetic base possible. This project aims to carry out a survey of the current genetic base of the European cattle population and to provide the tools to assist breeding programs to maintain a broad base. The blood typing laboratories are now beginning to use micro-satellite markers as an alternative to serology for parentage verification, and are selecting a common set to be used from the several hundred micro-satellite markers available that cover the bovine genome, produced as part of the Bovine genome mapping project. Early work to measure genetic diversity used blood groups to show differences between breeds and the diversity present. Unfortunately, the number of loci available are limited, with only the B system being sufficiently polymorphic to be really useful. However, since there is a wealth of information available from such typing, this information can be used to estimate changes in the genetic structure of cattle populations across Europe over the past twenty years. More recently mini-satellite probes have been used to generate ''genetic fingerprints'' which have been used to show differences between individuals. Such fingerprints have been used to estimate genetic diversity - the greater the number of bands revealed by the fingerprint being equated with greater diversity. This is valid within limits. The main disadvantage of the fingerprint approach is that the chromosomal location and number of loci being sampled, and so the proportion of the genome examined, is unknown. The allelic bands on the gel cannot be easily identified, so allele inheritance cannot be addressed making it impossible to trace ancestry. Through the EC funded BovMaP project, large numbers of highly polymorphic micro-satellite markers have become available, which are being mapped on the bovine genome. These markers are particularly suited to measuring genetic diversity, and markers can be selected to cover the entire genome.