Livestock · NASS annual estimates, 2026
Where are cattle raised?
Texas has the most cattle: 14% of the 86.2 million cattle on US farms on January 1, 2026.
Next come Nebraska (7%) and Kansas (7%).
- On US farms, 2026
- 86.2 million cattleNASS estimate
- Top state
- Texas14% of total
- Farms reporting, 2022
- 732,123in 50 states
- Counties reporting
- 3,05546 withheld
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. State view: NASS annual estimates, 2026. County view: 2022 Census of Agriculture (head on farms). All cattle and calves, beef and dairy. The annual survey counts cattle on January 1; the Census counts them on December 31, 2022.
Which state has the most cattle?
Texas has the most cattle: 14% of the 86.2 million cattle on US farms on January 1, 2026. Ranked by NASS's 2026 estimate.
Which counties raise the most cattle?
From the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which reports cattle for 3,055 counties. NASS withholds 46 of those county figures to protect individual farms, so a withheld county could be larger than some listed here.
| County | Head on farms | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Tulare County, CA | 1,080,665 | 1% |
| Deaf Smith County, TX | 700,069 | under 1% |
| Merced County, CA | 593,108 | under 1% |
| Castro County, TX | 582,951 | under 1% |
| Weld County, CO | 545,480 | under 1% |
| Fresno County, CA | 467,508 | under 1% |
| Hartley County, TX | 420,346 | under 1% |
| Haskell County, KS | 413,827 | under 1% |
| Imperial County, CA | 412,212 | under 1% |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 406,835 | under 1% |
| Dallam County, TX | 383,651 | under 1% |
| Sioux County, IA | 381,688 | under 1% |
| Parmer County, TX | 362,742 | under 1% |
| Cuming County, NE | 346,446 | under 1% |
| Gooding County, ID | 346,237 | under 1% |
How has the number of cattle changed?
NASS annual estimates, 2000 to 2026.
Cattle by the numbers
Each note is calculated from USDA NASS data; the source is listed under it.
How concentrated
The top three states, Texas, Nebraska and Kansas, account for 28% of the cattle on US farms.
NASS annual estimates, 2026
How widespread
Farms in 50 states reported cattle in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 732,123 farms in all.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Top county
Tulare County, California has 1% of the cattle on US farms, more than any other county.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Ten-year change
The number of cattle on US farms fell 6% between 2016 and 2026, from 91.9 million cattle to 86.2 million cattle.
NASS annual estimates
Biggest year
2000, the first year of NASS's comparable estimates, is still the biggest, at 98.2 million cattle.
NASS annual estimates
Long-time leader
Texas has led NASS's state estimates for cattle every year since at least 2000.
NASS annual estimates
Census to Census
The number of cattle on US farms fell 12% between the 1997 and 2022 Censuses of Agriculture, from 99.9 million cattle to 88 million cattle.
Censuses of Agriculture, 1997 to 2022
About this data
All cattle and calves, beef and dairy. The annual survey counts cattle on January 1; the Census counts them on December 31, 2022.
State and national figures come from NASS's annual estimates (final 2026 figures; in-season forecasts are not used). County figures and the county map come from the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only source that covers every county. NASS withholds some figures, marked "withheld", to avoid disclosing data for individual farms.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats. Series: CATTLE, INCL CALVES - INVENTORY; CATTLE, INCL CALVES - INVENTORY. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.