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.
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
24/7 Wall St.
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
24/7 Wall St.
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
24/7 Wall St.
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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
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
[in-text-ad]
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
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
[in-text-ad-2]
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.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
