These Colorful Pie Charts Showcase U.S. Milk Production Trends for February

USDA released its latest Milk Production report Friday, detailing the nation’s milk production for the month of February. Here’s a snapshot of what the agency reported for the major milk-producing states.

February Milk Production

According to USDA, total milk production across the 24 major states during February reached about 17.0 billion pounds, down 2.6% year-over-year. The 24 major states together contribute over 95% of U.S. cow’s milk production.

The agency added the caveat that the production estimate was actually a 0.9% increase compared to last February after adjusting for the leap year.

Taking a look at individual states, total production in dairy powerhouses California and Wisconsin was down year-over-year. 

Notably, only two of February’s top 10 milk-producing states, Texas and Idaho, had higher milk production in February compared to the same month in 2024.

The six states that round out the top 10 all had lower milk production in February year-over-year. 

States making up the rest of USDA’s top 24 were mixed but mostly saw lower milk production for February year-over-year.

February Milk Cow Numbers

The number of milk cows on farms in the country’s 24 major states was 8.96 million head in February, a 75,000-head increase compared to the same month in 2024.

Despite the fact that milk production was significantly down year-over-year in the Golden State, California’s milk cow numbers were up modestly: 1,000 head year-over-year.

In Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico, on the other hand, milk cow numbers were down year-over-year, the same trend as the total milk production in those states. 

February milk cow numbers for Texas, Idaho, Michigan, and Iowa were up year-over-year. USDA reported no change in milk cow numbers year-over-year for the state of New York.

States making up the rest of USDA’s top 24 were mixed but mostly saw lower milk cow numbers for February year-over-year.