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 July 2025. 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 comprising the remaining 10 percent. Cow milk is a component of several dietary staples, such as cheese, butter, and yogurt. 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. Holstein 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.

This statistic shows the ten U.S. states with the highest amount of milk production from 2020 to 2024. California, is the leading producer, where over four million pounds of milk were produced in 2024. Milk productionDairy farming is an agricultural business which is engaged in the long-term milk production within the dairy industry. It is a large contributor to the overall economy in many states. California, Wisconsin, New York, Idaho and Pennsylvania had the highest milk supply.The number of U.S. dairy farms has sharply decreased in the last decades, while dairy operations have ever-larger numbers of cows concentrated on a single farm. These extensive dairy farming conditions with a large herd size and a high milk output are seen as a profitable way for the milk industry in order to provide milk at relatively low cost for the consumer. Due to its high milk volume, the main cow used for milk production is the Holstein-Friesian. However, with this intensification of milking cows there comes a corresponding concentration of manure production which causes problems and challenges for the environment such as the risk of elevated nitrogen levels or contaminated ground water.Due to these environmental impacts, many dairy operations in Wisconsin are now facing opposition regarding plans to expand their dairy herds.

Number of Businesses statistics on the Dairy Farms industry in the US

Washington State Department of Agriculture regulates dairy farm compliance with state water quality and food safety law. This includes regular inspections of dairy production fields and facilities. The milking facilities, which generally represent the heart of the operation, are mapped for internal and public use.This dataset includes all active cow dairy milking facilities. The data are updated quarterly. The dataset includes information about the spatial distribution of dairies in Washington State and information about each business itself. Pursuant to WAC 16-06-210, some information is expressed in ranges to meet non-disclosure requirements.The following is a description of the attributes included with the WA Dairies dataset:

Field
Description


AG ID
The agency given identification number assigned at the initial licensing of the dairy.


Facility Size
This is a general summary of the farm size. For DNMP purposes, size is determined by mature (milking + dry) animal numbers; with a dairy herd of up to 199 animals being a Small, 200-699 being medium, and 700 or greater being Large.


Business Name
The name which appears on the milking license.


Site Address
The street address of the farm milking facility (not the business mailing address).


Site City
The city wherein lies the milking facility.


County
The county wherein lies the milking facility.


DNMP Region
The Dairy Nutrient Management Program Region wherein lies the milking facility.


CAFO Status
This field denotes whether or not the dairy milking license has an associated Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit.


CAFO ID
The permit identification number for the associated dairy.


Range Current Acres
The current and approximate acreage of land application or farming production land associated with the dairy.


Range Current Milking
The current and approximate number of milking animals currently in rotation.


Range Current Dry
The current and approximate number of mature dry animals currently in rotation.


Range Current Heifers
The current and approximate number of heifers (ages 6 months old to fresh) currently in rotation.


Range Current Calves
The current and approximate number of calves (ages 0 to 6 months) currently in rotation.


Latitude (WGS84)
Latitude Datum World Geodetic System 1984


Longitude (WGS84)
Longitude Datum World Geodetic System 1984


WRIA
The Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) wherein lies the milking facility.


Conservation District
The Conservation District serving the dairy business.


DNMA Status
Indicates whether the dairy is currently licensed and is regulated under food safety laws and dairy nutrient management act requirements.

The Dairy Goods Sales Dataset provides a detailed and comprehensive collection of data related to dairy farms, dairy products, sales, and inventory management. This dataset encompasses a wide range of information, including farm location, land area, cow population, farm size, production dates, product details, brand information, quantities, pricing, shelf life, storage conditions, expiration dates, sales information, customer locations, sales channels, stock quantities, stock thresholds, and reorder quantities.

Features:

1. Location: The geographical location of the dairy farm.
2. Total Land Area (acres): The total land area occupied by the dairy farm.
3. Number of Cows: The number of cows present in the dairy farm.
4. Farm Size: The size of the dairy farm(in sq.km).
5. Date: The date of data recording.
6. Product ID: The unique identifier for each dairy product.
7. Product Name: The name of the dairy product.
8. Brand: The brand associated with the dairy product.
9. Quantity (liters/kg): The quantity of the dairy product available.
10. Price per Unit: The price per unit of the dairy product.
11. Total Value: The total value of the available quantity of the dairy product.
12. Shelf Life (days): The shelf life of the dairy product in days.
13. Storage Condition: The recommended storage condition for the dairy product.
14. Production Date: The date of production for the dairy product.
15. Expiration Date: The date of expiration for the dairy product.
16. Quantity Sold (liters/kg): The quantity of the dairy product sold.
17. Price per Unit (sold): The price per unit at which the dairy product was sold.
18. Approx. Total Revenue (INR): The approximate total revenue generated from the sale of the dairy product.
19. Customer Location: The location of the customer who purchased the dairy product.
20. Sales Channel: The channel through which the dairy product was sold (Retail, Wholesale, Online).
21. Quantity in Stock (liters/kg): The quantity of the dairy product remaining in stock.
22. Minimum Stock Threshold (liters/kg): The minimum stock threshold for the dairy product.
23. Reorder Quantity (liters/kg): The recommended quantity to reorder for the dairy product.

Potential Use-Case:

This dataset can be used by researchers, analysts, and businesses in the dairy industry for various purposes, such as:

1. Analyzing the performance of dairy farms based on location, land area, and cow population.
2. Understanding the sales and distribution patterns of different dairy products across various brands and regions.
3. Studying the impact of storage conditions and shelf life on the quality and availability of dairy products.
4. Analyzing customer preferences and buying behavior based on location and sales channels.
5. Optimizing inventory management by tracking stock quantities, minimum thresholds, and reorder quantities.
6. Conducting market research and trend analysis in the dairy industry.
7. Developing predictive models for demand forecasting and pricing strategies.

Note: This dataset includes data from the period between 2019 and 2022, and it specifically focuses on selected dairy brands operating in specific states and union territories of India. There is an intentional drift highlighted in the dataset's figures due to its opensource and creative license, currently !

Representative dairy farms were modeled using the Integrated Farm System Model with 20 farms in each of 6 regions of the United States for the years of 1971 and 2020 to determine improvements made in reducing environmental impacts over the 50-year period. Important data and information describing these farms are documented in these tables. These data include the farm location, number of cows and heifers maintained, milk produced, feeds and nutrient contents fed, crop areas, crop yields, fertilizer and lime application rates, irrigation water applied, milking and housing facilities, manure collection, storage and application methods used, and soil characteristics. These data are published as supplementary information for the article “Fifty years of environmental progress for United States dairy farms” published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Comprehensive dataset containing 6,611 verified Dairy farm businesses in United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

In the U.S., there have been approximately three times more beef cows than dairy cows each year since 2001. As of 2025, 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 2024, over 26 billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States. U.S. milk production and consumption The United States is among the top consumers of milk worldwide, surpassed only by India and the European Union. The annual consumption of milk in the U.S. that year was about 20 million metric tons in 2024. 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 227 billion pounds by 2025. California and Wisconsin were the top producing states as of 2024, producing about 42 and 32 billion pounds of milk, respectively.

The leading producer of cow milk worldwide was India in 2024. In that year, India produced over 211.7 million metric tons of cow milk. The European Union was ranked second with a production volume of around 150.17 million metric tons. International dairy trade The export value of dairy product worldwide reached about 66 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, down from around 70.6 billion U.S. dollars in the previous year. As the top producer of cow milk worldwide, the European Union also was the top exporter of dairy products. Leading dairy processors The Dairy Farmers of America, based in the United States, is one of the biggest players in the global dairy market, with sales reaching around 23 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Land O'Lakes Inc. ranked in second place with sales of around 16.8 billion U.S. dollars.

The dairy product production industry in the US has been a staple of the agricultural sector, consistently contributing to the nation's economy. Over recent years, it has faced a blend of challenges and opportunities. Despite the volatility in milk prices and shifting consumer preferences, the sector has shown resilience. Traditional dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt remain household staples, but there's been a noticeable shift towards organic and specialty products. Innovations in production methods and a focus on sustainability have also started to shape the industry's landscape, reflecting broader consumer trends toward healthier and more environmentally friendly options. However, the rise in dairy imports, particularly from countries with lower production costs, has intensified competition, putting pressure on domestic producers and affecting profitability. The industry has been shrinking at an average annualized 3.2% over the past five years and is expected to total $124.4 billion in 2025 when revenue will climb by an estimated 0.5%. Over the past few years, the dairy industry has undergone significant transformations. The adoption of advanced technology in dairy farming, like automated milking systems and precision farming techniques, has increased efficiency and productivity. At the same time, there’s been growing competition from plant-based dairy alternatives, which has pressured traditional dairy producers to innovate and diversify their product offerings. The farm-to-table movement has also gained momentum, with more consumers opting for locally sourced and artisanal dairy products. This trend has helped small and mid-sized farms find new markets and build stronger community connections. Despite these advancements, the industry has had to navigate challenges like fluctuating feed costs, labor shortages and stringent environmental regulations. Several key trends are likely to shape the dairy industry. Sustainability will be a significant focus, with farms adopting greener practices to meet regulatory requirements and consumer expectations. Technological advancements will continue revolutionizing the sector, from precision farming to blockchain for supply chain transparency. The rise of functional and health-focused dairy products will drive growth as consumers seek options offering added nutritional benefits. Also, the competition from plant-based alternatives will persist, pushing traditional dairy producers to innovate. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to grow at an annualized 1.2% over the five years through 2030 to total $131.8 billion.

Representative dairy farms in major dairy regions of the United States were modeled using the Integrated Farm System Model to quantify potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions using various mitigation strategies. Important data and information describing these 14 farms are documented in this table. These data include the farm location, number of cows and heifers maintained, milk produced, feeds and nutrient contents fed, crop areas, crop yields, fertilizer and lime application rates, irrigation water applied, milking and housing facilities, manure collection, storage and application methods used, and soil characteristics. Simulated output information for feed consumption, nutrient losses, fossil energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions are listed for each farm. These data are published as supplementary information for the article “Strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from US dairy farms toward a net zero goal” published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

The total number of dairy farms that reported sales from their milk cows in 2012.

Data source: United States Department of Agriculture, Census of Agriculture

Date: 2012

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).

By the 2024 Australian financial year end, there were just ***** registered dairy farms in the state of Victoria. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of registered dairy farms in Victoria declined by ***** farms in total, increasing only slightly between 2015 and 2016.

Comprehensive dataset containing 113 verified Dairy farm businesses in Colorado, United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

This data set includes measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia fluxes from dairy manure, with accompanying measurements of manure physical and chemical characteristics. The manure was collected from two farms in the Great Lakes region and subjected to varying treatments of anaerobic digestion and liquid-solid separation. Farm 1 was a private farm with a 2,560-cow diary herd. Manure was collected three times daily using skid steers. Both digestion and separation of manure were performed at Farm 1. Farm 2 was the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center in Prairie du Sac, WI with a 350-cow herd and manure collected by scrape daily. Farm 2 had a separator but no digester. Gas fluxes from manure of each treatment type were monitored both from manure storage barrels ("Storage_GHG" tab of dataset), and from field-applied manure ("Field_GHG" tab). The "Manure" tab gives information about the manure chemical and physical characteristics after treatment (i.e. after digestion and/or separation) and during barrel storage. The "Soil" tab gives information about soil chemical contents during the time period of flux measurements from field-applied manure. Manure storage was during November 2013 - May 2014. In May 2014 the stored manure was surface-applied and immediately incorporated on 3.3 m^2 plots at Farm 2 in a randomized block design, at a rate of 320 kg N/ha. Field corn (maize) was planted in the plots. Note that gas fluxes are given as cumulative mass flux over the monitoring period, with sampling approximately once a week during storage (November 2013 - May 2014) and field monitoring (May 2014 - September 2014). The instrument used to measure both storage barrel and field fluxes was a "Gasmet" brand Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy gas analyzer. Each flux sample was taken over 7 minutes with gas concentrations measured every 20 seconds. Flux data from different manure fraction "treatments" are reported as the measured fluxes, and also as the fluxes normalized to a raw manure (i.e. whole, wet manure) weight basis. This experiment is part of the project called “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Dairy Production Systems of the Great Lakes Region,” also known as the Dairy Coordinated Agricultural Project (Dairy CAP). The Dairy CAP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (award number 2013-68002-20525). The main goal of the Dairy CAP is to improve understanding of the magnitudes and controlling factors over GHG emissions from dairy production in the Great Lakes region. Using this knowledge, the Dairy CAP is improving life cycle analysis (LCA) of GHG production by Great Lakes dairy farms, developing farm management tools, and conducting extension, education and outreach activities. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Data dictionary for: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Ammonia Emissions from Digested and Separated Dairy Manure during Storage and Land Application; updated data set. File Name: DairyCAP_WI_manure_dictionary_01302017.csvResource Software Recommended: Microsoft Excel 2013,url: https://products.office.com/en-us/excel Resource Title: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Ammonia Emissions from Digested and Separated Dairy Manure during Storage and Land Application; updated data set . File Name: DairyCAP_WI_manure_data_01302017.xlsxResource Description: This data set includes measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia fluxes from dairy manure, with accompanying measurements of manure physical and chemical characteristics. The manure was collected from two farms in the Great Lakes region and subjected to varying treatments of anaerobic digestion and liquid-solid separation. Farm 1 was a private farm with a 2,560-cow diary herd. Manure was collected three times daily using skid steers. Both digestion and separation of manure were performed at Farm 1. Farm 2 was the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center in Prairie du Sac, WI with a 350-cow herd and manure collected by scrape daily. Farm 2 had a separator but no digester. Gas fluxes from manure of each treatment type were monitored both from manure storage barrels ("Storage_GHG" tab of dataset), and from field-applied manure ("Field_GHG" tab). The "Manure" tab gives information about the manure chemical and physical characteristics after treatment (i.e. after digestion and/or separation) and during barrel storage. The "Soil" tab gives information about soil chemical contents during the time period of flux measurements from field-applied manure. Manure storage was during November 2013 - May 2014. In May 2014 the stored manure was surface-applied and immediately incorporated on 3.3 m^2 plots at Farm 2 in a randomized block design, at a rate of 320 kg N/ha. Field corn (maize) was planted in the plots. Note that gas fluxes are given as cumulative mass flux over the monitoring period, with sampling approximately once a week during storage (November 2013 - May 2014) and field monitoring (May 2014 - September 2014). The instrument used to measure both storage barrel and field fluxes was a "Gasmet" brand Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy gas analyzer. Each flux sample was taken over 7 minutes with gas concentrations measured every 20 seconds. Flux data from different manure fraction "treatments" are reported as the measured fluxes, and also as the fluxes normalized to a raw manure (i.e. whole, wet manure) weight basis. This experiment is part of the project called “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Dairy Production Systems of the Great Lakes Region,” also known as the Dairy Coordinated Agricultural Project (Dairy CAP). The Dairy CAP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (award number 2013-68002-20525). The main goal of the Dairy CAP is to improve understanding of the magnitudes and controlling factors over GHG emissions from dairy production in the Great Lakes region. Using this knowledge, the Dairy CAP is improving life cycle analysis (LCA) of GHG production by Great Lakes dairy farms, developing farm management tools, and conducting extension, education and outreach activities. This data set was updated on January 30, 2017, in order to harmonize some units and nomenclature with other Dairy CAP data sets.Resource Software Recommended: Microsoft Excel 2013,url: https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-excel-2013

To assess the magnitude of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, nutrient runoff and leaching from dairy barnyards and to characterize factors controlling these fluxes, nine barnyards were built at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Farm in Prairie du Sac, WI (latitude 43.33N, longitude 89.71W). The barnyards were designed to simulate outdoor cattle-holding areas on commercial dairy farms in Wisconsin. Each barnyard was approximately 7m x 7m; areas of barnyards 1-9 were 51.91, 47.29, 50.97, 46.32, 45.64, 46.30, 48.93, 48.78, 46.73 square meters, respectively. Factors investigated included three different surface materials (bark, sand, soil) and timing of cattle corralling. Each barnyard included a gravity drainage system that allowed leachate to be pumped out and analyzed. Each soil-covered barnyard also included a system to intercept runoff at the perimeter and drain to a pumping port, similar to the leachate systems. From October 2010 to October 2015, dairy heifers were placed onto experimental barnyards for approximately 7-day periods four times per year, generally in mid-spring, late-spring / early summer, mid-to-late summer and early-to-mid autumn. Heifers were fed once per day from total mixed rations consisting mostly of corn (maize) and alfalfa silages. Feed offered and feed refused were both weighed and analyzed for total nitrogen (N), carbon (C), phosphorus (P) and cell wall components (neutral detergent fiber, NDF). Leachate was pumped out of plots frequently enough to prevent saturation of surface materials and potential anaerobic conditions. Leachate was also pumped out the day before any gas flux measurements. Leachate total volume and nitrogen species were measured, and from “soil” barnyards the runoff was also measured. The starting bulk density, pH, total carbon (C) and total N of barnyard surface materials were analyzed. Decomposed bark in barnyards was replaced with new bark in 2013, before the spring flux measurements. Please note: the data presented here includes observations made in 2015; the original paper included observations through 2014 only. Gas fluxes (carbon dioxide, CO2; methane, CH4; ammonia, NH3; and nitrous oxide, N2O) were measured during the two days before heifers were corralled in barnyards, and during the two days after heifers were moved off the barnyards. During the first day of each two-day measurement period, gas fluxes were measured at two randomly selected locations within each barnyard. Each location was sampled once in the morning and once in the afternoon. During the second day, this procedure was repeated with two new randomly selected locations in each barnyard. This experiment was partially funded by a project called “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Dairy Production Systems of the Great Lakes Region,” also known as the Dairy Coordinated Agricultural Project (Dairy CAP). The Dairy CAP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (award number 2013-68002-20525). The main goal of the Dairy CAP is to improve understanding of the magnitudes and controlling factors over GHG emissions from dairy production in the Great Lakes region. Using this knowledge, the Dairy CAP is improving life cycle analysis (LCA) of GHG production by Great Lakes dairy farms, developing farm management tools, and conducting extension, education and outreach activities. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Data_dictionary_DairyCAP_Barnyards. File Name: BYD_Data_Dictionary.xlsxResource Description: This is the data dictionary for the data from the paper "Gas emissions from dairy barnyards" by Mark Powell and Peter Vadas. Resource Software Recommended: Microsoft Excel 2016,url: https://products.office.com/en-us/excel Resource Title: DairyCAP_Barnyards. File Name: BYD_Project_Data.xlsxResource Description: This is the complete data from the paper: Powell, J. M. & Vadas, P. A. (2016). Gas emissions from dairy barnyards. Animal Production Science, 56, 355-361. Data are separated into separate spreadsheet tabs.Resource Software Recommended: Microsoft Excel 2016,url: https://products.office.com/en-us/excel Resource Title: Data_dictionary_DairyCAP_Barnyards. File Name: Data_Dictionary_BYD.csvResource Description: This is the data dictionary for the data from the paper "Gas emissions from dairy barnyards" by Mark Powell and Peter Vadas. Resource Title: GHG Data. File Name: BYD_GHG.csvResource Description: Greenhouse gas flux dataResource Title: Intake Data. File Name: BYD_Intake.csvResource Title: Leachate Data. File Name: BYD_Leachate.csvResource Title: Runoff Data. File Name: BYD_Runoff.csvResource Title: Surface Data. File Name: BYD_Surface.csvResource Title: TMR Data. File Name: BYD_TMR.csvResource Description: Total mixed ration data

By the 2024 Australian financial year end, there were just *** registered dairy farms in the state of Queensland. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of registered dairy farms in Queensland steadily declined by *** farms in total.

By the 2024 Australian financial year end, there were *** registered dairy farms in the state of Western Australia. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of registered dairy farms in Western Australia declined by ** farms in total.

Number of responding dairy farms by herd size across the state and by region (West and East).