Special Report

States Producing the Most Meat

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The United States produced roughly 140 billion pounds of red meat and poultry in 2016, worth nearly $100 billion. Americans have each added 45 pounds of these types of meat to their diets since 1960, now consuming over 200 pounds annually.

By weight, meat from young chickens — or broilers — is the most common in America, with 54 billion pounds produced last year. Beef and pork follow with 43 billion and 36 billion pounds produced, respectively.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2016 meat production in each state by weight for beef, pork, and poultry with data from the United States Department of Agriculture. While every state produces some amount of meat, most U.S. production is concentrated in a few states. Eight states alone produce the majority of the nation’s total meat production by weight.

Click here to see the states producing the most meat.
Click here to see the methodology.

These are the states producing the most meat.

Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island
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50. Rhode Island
> Annual meat production: 1.7 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $1.7 million (the lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Alaskan Summer
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49. Alaska
> Annual meat production: 3.7 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $3.8 million (2nd lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

https://www.flickr.com/photos/roadgeek/

48. New Jersey
> Annual meat production: 7.2 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $7.7 million (3rd lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

New Hampshire
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47. New Hampshire
> Annual meat production: 9.6 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $10.6 million (4th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Boston, Massachusetts
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46. Massachusetts
> Annual meat production: 11.9 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $11.1 million (5th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

 
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45. Connecticut
> Annual meat production: 13.9 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $16.0 million (6th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Portland Head Light in Maine at Sunrise
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44. Maine
> Annual meat production: 18.5 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $20.6 million (7th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Honolulu Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
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43. Hawaii
> Annual meat production: 39.2 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $47.3 million (8th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Vermont farm house
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42. Vermont
> Annual meat production: 52.4 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: <0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $62.1 million (9th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Las Vegas, Nevada 2
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41. Nevada
> Annual meat production: 188.1 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $219.8 million (10th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Louisiana bayou and cypress trees
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40. Louisiana
> Annual meat production: 195.0 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.1%
> Annual meat sales: $222.9 million (11th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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New York City, Brooklyn Bridge, New York
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39. New York
> Annual meat production: 272.6 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.2%
> Annual meat sales: $304.9 million (12th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Saguaro arizona
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38. Arizona
> Annual meat production: 533.7 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.4%
> Annual meat sales: $560.3 million (14th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Wikimedia Commons

37. New Mexico
> Annual meat production: 600.4 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.4%
> Annual meat sales: $695.9 million (17th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Sunrise Over Crown Point at Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
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36. Oregon
> Annual meat production: 605.1 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.4%
> Annual meat sales: $703.7 million (18th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

View of mountains in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.
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35. West Virginia
> Annual meat production: 610.8 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.4%
> Annual meat sales: $433.6 million (13th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

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Seattle, Washington
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34. Washington
> Annual meat production: 638.4 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.5%
> Annual meat sales: $704.5 million (19th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Devils Tower, Crooks County, Wyoming
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33. Wyoming
> Annual meat production: 660.1 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.5%
> Annual meat sales: $752.0 million (20th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Provo Orem, Utah Valley wildflowers
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32. Utah
> Annual meat production: 681.5 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.5%
> Annual meat sales: $600.7 million (15th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Bison, North Dakota
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31. North Dakota
> Annual meat production: 787.4 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.6%
> Annual meat sales: $941.0 million (22nd lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Miami South Beach, Florida
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30. Florida
> Annual meat production: 808.6 million lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.6%
> Annual meat sales: $687.6 million (16th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Idaho Falls, Idaho
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29. Idaho
> Annual meat production: 1.2 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.9%
> Annual meat sales: $1.4 billion (23rd highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Beartooth Mountains at dawn, Red Lodge, Montana, USA.
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28. Montana
> Annual meat production: 1.2 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.9%
> Annual meat sales: $1.4 billion (24th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Saginaw County, Michigan
Wikimedia Commons

27. Michigan
> Annual meat production: 1.3 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 0.9%
> Annual meat sales: $981.2 million (24th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

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Chattanooga, Tennessee
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26. Tennessee
> Annual meat production: 1.6 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.2%
> Annual meat sales: $1.0 billion (25th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Green Bay, Wisconsin
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25. Wisconsin
> Annual meat production: 1.8 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.3%
> Annual meat sales: $1.8 billion (17th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Dover, Delaware
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24. Delaware
> Annual meat production: 1.9 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.3%
> Annual meat sales: $888.2 million (21st lowest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

winter and Fall foliage at Maroon Bells, Aspen Colorado
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23. Colorado
> Annual meat production: 1.9 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.3%
> Annual meat sales: $2.1 billion (15th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Baltimore, Maryland - Inner Harbor
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22. Maryland
> Annual meat production: 1.9 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.4%
> Annual meat sales: $965.4 million (23rd lowest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

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Charleston Sunset, South Carolina
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21. South Carolina
> Annual meat production: 2.0 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.4%
> Annual meat sales: $1.0 billion (25th lowest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

San Diego, California, Waves
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20. California
> Annual meat production: 2.2 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.6%
> Annual meat sales: $2.3 billion (14th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 3
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19. Pennsylvania
> Annual meat production: 2.2 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.6%
> Annual meat sales: $1.5 billion (22nd highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Cleveland, Ohio
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18. Ohio
> Annual meat production: 2.4 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.7%
> Annual meat sales: $1.6 billion (21st highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

Pierre, South Dakota
Wikimedia Commons

17. South Dakota
> Annual meat production: 2.4 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.7%
> Annual meat sales: $2.5 billion (13th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
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16. Virginia
> Annual meat production: 2.5 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.8%
> Annual meat sales: $1.6 billion (20th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Kentucky (horse farm)
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15. Kentucky
> Annual meat production: 2.6 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.9%
> Annual meat sales: $1.7 billion (19th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

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Chicago, Illinois
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14. Illinois
> Annual meat production: 2.6 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 1.9%
> Annual meat sales: $1.7 billion (18th highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

Indianapolis Downtown, Indiana, USA
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13. Indiana
> Annual meat production: 3.0 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 2.1%
> Annual meat sales: $1.8 billion (16th highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

St. Louis, Missouri
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12. Missouri
> Annual meat production: 5.0 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 3.6%
> Annual meat sales: $3.7 billion (10th highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

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Capital Building, Jackson, Mississippi
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11. Mississippi
> Annual meat production: 5.0 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 3.6%
> Annual meat sales: $2.5 billion (12th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Oklahoma house
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10. Oklahoma
> Annual meat production: 5.1 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 3.7%
> Annual meat sales: $4.0 billion (9th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

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Kansas house
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9. Kansas
> Annual meat production: 5.1 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 3.7%
> Annual meat sales: $5.0 billion (5th highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Birmingham, Alabama 2
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8. Alabama
> Annual meat production: 6.6 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 4.7%
> Annual meat sales: $3.3 billion (11th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Minneapolis, Minnesota
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7. Minnesota
> Annual meat production: 6.9 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 4.9%
> Annual meat sales: $4.4 billion (6th highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

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Nebraska sign
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6. Nebraska
> Annual meat production: 7.0 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 5.0%
> Annual meat sales: $7.1 billion (3rd highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

Arkansas, Buffalo River sunrise
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5. Arkansas
> Annual meat production: 7.7 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 5.5%
> Annual meat sales: $4.1 billion (8th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

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Atlanta, Georgia 3
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4. Georgia
> Annual meat production: 8.5 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 6.1%
> Annual meat sales: $4.2 billion (7th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

Austin, Texas
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3. Texas
> Annual meat production: 10.3 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 7.4%
> Annual meat sales: $9.3 billion (the highest)
> Most produced meat: Beef

2. North Carolina
> Annual meat production: 12.1 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 8.6%
> Annual meat sales: $6.4 billion (4th highest)
> Most produced meat: Chicken

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Wind Farm, Iowa
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1. Iowa
> Annual meat production: 14.9 billion lbs.
> Share of U.S. production: 10.7%
> Annual meat sales: $8.4 billion (2nd highest)
> Most produced meat: Pork

Methodology:

To identify the states producing the most meat, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed annual production of beef, pork, and poultry by weight in each state from the United States Department of Agriculture. Beef and pork figures came from the USDA report, “Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income 2016 Summary,” and poultry figures came from the USDA report, “Poultry – Production and Value 2016 Summary.” Annual meat sales also came from these reports.

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