America’s dairy industry is more than milk. It’s jobs and economic activity for the people of our country. It’s also a way of life for more than 60,000 farm families.

Farms come in a variety of shapes and sizes. One common thread between them is that they are all important contributors to local communities and to the nation’s overall economy. Without dairy farmers, local tax bases would look very different and that would affect schools, local businesses and the food supply -- it would also affect the natural landscape and wide open spaces that farmers help provide.

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Dairy Farm Snapshot

More than 60,000 U.S. dairy farms provide milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products to the U.S. and other countries. About 99% of all U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated. The average herd size on a dairy farm is 135 mature cows. The majority (77%) of U.S. dairy farms have less than 100 cows. Farms with more than 100 cows produce 77% of the milk. For more statistics, check out USDA’s 2005 Family Farm Report.

Milk Production Facts

U.S. dairy farms produce roughly 21 billion gallons of milk annually. A cow will produce an average of 6.3 gallons of milk each day. That’s more than 2,300 gallons each year.

State Statistics

There are dairy farms in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Dairy is the number one agricultural business in California, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin. California is responsible for 21.3% of the U.S. milk supply – more than any other state. As an example, in California alone dairy is a $47 billion industry employing over 400,000 people. Rural America and the agricultural economy in general is greatly impacted by a strong dairy business. When a dairy farm spends money locally, it creates a multiplier effect of more than two-and-a-half times the original dollar spent.

To download the U.S. Dairy Industry PDF click here