Livestock · NASS annual estimates, 2026
Where are sheep raised?
Texas has the most sheep: 14% of the 5 million sheep on US farms on January 1, 2026.
Next come California (10%) and Colorado (8%).
- On US farms, 2026
- 5 million sheepNASS estimate
- Top state
- Texas14% of total
- Farms reporting, 2022
- 88,853in 50 states
- Counties reporting
- 2,903276 withheld
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. State view: NASS annual estimates, 2026. County view: 2022 Census of Agriculture (head on farms). Sheep and lambs, counted on January 1 in the annual survey.
Which state has the most sheep?
Texas has the most sheep: 14% of the 5 million sheep on US farms on January 1, 2026. Ranked by NASS's 2026 estimate.
* Rank among states with published figures. A state whose figure is withheld could rank higher.
Which counties raise the most sheep?
From the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which reports sheep for 2,903 counties. NASS withholds 276 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Weld County, CO | 129,426 | 3% |
| Kern County, CA | 110,321 | 2% |
| Solano County, CA | 99,106 | 2% |
| Apache County, AZ | 69,090 | 1% |
| Minidoka County, ID | 67,141 | 1% |
| Sanpete County, UT | 64,277 | 1% |
| Moffat County, CO | 62,347 | 1% |
| Iron County, UT | 51,467 | 1% |
| Crockett County, TX | 51,197 | 1% |
| Converse County, WY | 48,111 | under 1% |
| Fresno County, CA | 41,035 | under 1% |
| Codington County, SD | 40,649 | under 1% |
| Navajo County, AZ | 39,927 | under 1% |
| Butte County, SD | 38,261 | under 1% |
| Stillwater County, MT | 37,316 | under 1% |
How has the number of sheep changed?
NASS annual estimates, 2000 to 2026.
Sheep by the numbers
Each note is calculated from USDA NASS data; the source is listed under it.
How concentrated
The top three states, Texas, California and Colorado, account for 32% of the sheep on US farms.
NASS annual estimates, 2026
How widespread
Farms in 50 states reported sheep in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 88,853 farms in all.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Top county
Weld County, Colorado has 3% of the sheep on US farms, more than any other county.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Ten-year change
The number of sheep on US farms fell 6% between 2016 and 2026, from 5.3 million sheep to 5 million sheep.
NASS annual estimates
Biggest year
2000, the first year of NASS's comparable estimates, is still the biggest, at 7 million sheep.
NASS annual estimates
Long-time leader
Texas has led NASS's state estimates for sheep every year since at least 2000.
NASS annual estimates
Census to Census
The number of sheep on US farms fell 37% between the 1997 and 2022 Censuses of Agriculture, from 8.1 million sheep to 5.1 million sheep.
Censuses of Agriculture, 1997 to 2022
About this data
Sheep and lambs, counted on January 1 in the annual survey.
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: SHEEP, INCL LAMBS - INVENTORY; SHEEP, INCL LAMBS - INVENTORY. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.