Grown Where

State rankings · NASS annual estimates, 2025

Which state raises the most chickens?

Georgia ranks No. 1 for chickens, with 14% of the 9.4 billion broiler chickens raised in the US in 2025.

No. 2* Alabama (13%), No. 3* Arkansas (11%), No. 4* North Carolina (10%). Ranks marked * are among states with published figures; a state whose figure is withheld could rank higher. Georgia has been No. 1 in every year shown, back to 2011. All 50 states that reported chickens are listed below.

Chickens by state, ranked

Ranked by NASS's 2025 estimate. The 2022 Census columns cover every state.

Chickens by state: NASS annual estimates, 2025 and 2022 Census of Agriculture, top 15
State2025, broiler chickensSharevs 20242022 Census, head soldFarms, 2022
1Georgia1.3 billion broiler14%-3%1.3 billion2,018
2*Alabama1.2 billion broiler13%+1%1.2 billion2,140
3*Arkansas1.1 billion broiler11%+2%1 billion1,924
4*North Carolina985 million broiler10%+2%972 million2,058
5*Texas732 million broiler8%+<1%710 million2,086
6*Mississippi701 million broiler7%+5%669 million1,057
7*Maryland322 million broiler3%+4%278 million682
8*Kentucky291 million broiler3%+3%263 million796
9*Missouri284 million broiler3%+7%316 million966
10*Delaware263 million broiler3%-5%242 million588
11*Virginia248 million broiler3%-6%292 million1,009
12*Pennsylvania245 million broiler3%+6%230 million1,493
13*South Carolina237 million broiler3%-<1%237 million645
14*Oklahoma181 million broiler2%-4%221 million670
–California–314 million460
Units: broiler chickens. “–” means the state isn't in NASS's annual survey for this item; see the 2022 Census column on wider screens, or the state's page. * Rank among states with published figures; a withheld state could rank higher.
Show all 50 states
Chickens by state: NASS annual estimates, 2025 and 2022 Census of Agriculture, ranked 16 to 50
State2025, broiler chickensSharevs 20242022 Census, head soldFarms, 2022
–Tennessee–189 million664
–Louisiana–136 million310
–Ohio–124 million1,510
–Nebraska–90.9 million200
–West Virginia–70.2 million334
–Florida–65 million415
–Wisconsin–56.7 million1,179
–Indiana–51.9 million715
–Minnesota–41.8 million1,028
–Washington–25.9 million395
–Oregon–18.6 million629
–Iowa–16.7 million693
–Michigan–12.6 million1,332
–New York–1.5 million703
–Illinois–1.1 million548
–Colorado–757,594321
–Vermont–467,308274
–Maine–351,860264
–New Jersey–311,102147
–Connecticut–223,640149
–Massachusetts–177,113180
–Montana–133,38991
–New Hampshire–115,753147
–Rhode Island–86,72234
–South Dakota–77,046125
–Kansas–33,822252
–North Dakota–22,39182
–Arizona–14,75443
–Utah–13,691132
–Idaho–11,815155
–Alaska–11,66648
–Hawaii–8,91825
–Wyoming–6,52570
–New Mexico–3,95577
–Nevada–2,36614

Which state has been No. 1 for chickens each year?

The top state in NASS's annual estimates, most recent year first. A year is skipped if a state whose figure is withheld could have been larger.

Top state for chickens by year
YearTop stateShareAmount
2025Georgia14%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2024Georgia15%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2023Georgia14%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2022Georgia14%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2021Georgia14%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2020Georgia14%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2019Georgia15%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2018Georgia15%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2017Georgia15%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2016Georgia16%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2015Georgia15%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2014Georgia15%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2013Georgia16%1.3 billion broiler chickens
2012Georgia16%1.4 billion broiler chickens
2011Georgia16%1.4 billion broiler chickens

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About this data

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Annual estimates (final 2025 figures) and the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Withheld figures are suppressed by NASS to protect individual farms. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.