Dairy Cattle and Milk Production

ACH17-4/September 2019

Highlights Milk sales and milk cow inventory up, number of farms down, since 2012

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Number and Location

U.S. farmers had 9.5 million milk cows 

at the end of 2017, up 3.1 percent from 

2012, when the Census of Agriculture 

was last conducted. During that time, 

the number of farms with sales of milk 

from cows declined 20 percent, from 

50,556 farms to 40,336 farms. Sales of 

cow’s milk totaled $36.7 billion in 2017, 

up 3.4 percent from 2012. 

California led the country in both milk 

cow inventory and sales, with 1.8 million 

milk cows at the end of 2017 and $6.5 

billion in 2017 milk sales. Wisconsin was 

second, followed by New York, Idaho, 

and Texas. These five states accounted 

for 50 percent of milk cow inventory 

and 51 percent of milk sales. The top ten 

states accounted for 72 percent of U.S. 

milk sales.

In 2017, U.S. farmers had 9.5 million milk cows and sales of milk from cows 

totaling $36.7 billion, accounting for 9.5 percent of total U.S. agriculture sales. 

California and Wisconsin accounted for about a third of U.S. sales. The top five 

states accounted for half. Of 40,336 farms that produced and sold milk from 

cows, 89 percent were specialized dairy farms that accounted for 98 percent 

of milk sold in 2017. These farms had $33.3 billion in production expenses.

9.5 million

milk cows

40,336

farms

$36.7 billion

milk sales 

Sales of Milk from Cows as Percent of Agriculture Sales, by County, 2017

< 1

1 - 4

5 - 14

15 - 29

30 - 49

50 +

U.S. = 9.5

Between 2012 and 2017, 

the proportion of milk 

cows on smaller operations 

(with fewer than 1,000 

milk cows) declined from 

51 percent to 45 percent. 

The proportion on larger 

operations (2,500 milk cows 

or more) increased from 29 

percent to 35 percent. The 

proportion on mid-sized 

operations stayed the same 

at 20 percent.

Top States ($ bil)

California 6.5

Wisconsin 5.2

New York 2.5

Idaho 2.3

Texas 2.2

Pennsylvania 2.0

Michigan 1.8

Minnesota 1.7

New Mexico 1.3

Washington 1.1

Percent of Milk Cow Inventory, by Size of Operation (no. of head), 2012 and 2017

2012 2017

6

4

< 50 hd

11 9

50-99 hd

34

32

100-999 hd

20 20

1,000-2,499 hd

29

35

2,500+ hd

$1.8 billion

At $1.8 billion in 2017 milk 

sales, Tulare County, California, 

accounted for 5 percent of U.S. milk 

sales. Four of the top five counties 

in milk sales are in California.
Source: USDA NASS, 2017 Census of Agriculture.

Producer Characteristics

Farm Characteristics

Average Farm

Production Expenses

The production costs of farms specializing 

in dairy cattle and milk production totaled 

$33.3 billion, up 1.6 percent from 2012. 

At $14.9 billion, feed was the largest 

expense item, accounting for 45 percent of 

production expenses.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

30 

$1.5 billion

The percent of dairy producers who are women.

The amount of organic sales by specialized dairy farms, 

21 percent of total U.S. organic agriculture sales. 

SNAPSHOT

Dairy Producers, 2017

Number = 74,988*

Dairy All U.S.

(percent)

Sex

Male 70 64

Female 30 36

Age

<35 18 8

35 - 64 66 58

65+ 16 34

Years farming

10 or less 21 27

11 or more 79 73

Lived on their farm 85 74

Worked off farm

No days 70 39

1 to 199 days 15 21

200+ days 15 40

Primary occupation

Farming 84 42

Other 16 58

With military service 3 11

Average age (years) 50.2 57.5

* Producers on 37,750 specialized dairy farms as defined by 

the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). 

More than half of a farm’s sales come from milking dairy 

cattle. Data collected for up to four producers per farm.

About the Census

The Census of Agriculture, conducted 

once every five years, is a complete 

count of U.S. farms and ranches and 

the people who operate them. Results 

from the 2017 and earlier censuses are 

available at national, state, and county 

levels. 

See the searchable database Quick 

Stats, the new Census Data Query Tool, 

downloadable PDF reports, maps, and a 

variety of topic-specific products. 

www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

($ bil)

Feed 14.9

Hired labor 3.9

Repairs and supplies 2.2

Vet and medicine 1.2

Interest 1.2

Custom work and hauling 1.2

Fuels 1.0

Other expenses 7.7

Economic Class Dairy Farms All Farms

(sales and government payments) (percent of total)

< $10,000 6 55

$10,000 - $99,999 10 26

$100,000 - $499,999 51 11

$500,000 - $999,999 15 4

$1,000,000 + 18 4

Dairy Farms All Farms

Avg. acres 461 441

Avg. sales $1,122,724 $190,245

Avg. government payments $10,264 $13,906

Avg. expenses $882,714 $159,821

Avg. net cash farm income $259,194 $43,053

Among Dairy Farms 

67% Have internet access

61% Hire farm labor

95% Are family farms

85% Have net positive income

Farms specializing in dairy 

cattle and milk production 

accounted for 98 percent of 

U.S. milk sales. Most of these 

farms (84 percent) had sales 

and government payments of 

$100,000 or more. 

On average, dairy farms have 

higher levels of sales than all 

U.S. farms, larger land area, 

greater production expenses, 

and higher net income. 

The producers on farms specializing in dairy 

cattle and milk production were, on average, 

younger (50.2) than U.S. producers overall 

(57.5). Thirty percent worked one or more 

days off the farm, compared to 61 percent 

of all U.S. producers. Dairy producers were 

more likely to consider farming their primary 

occupation than U.S. producers overall (84 

percent versus 42 percent) and more likely 

to live on their farm (85 percent versus 74 

percent). Almost all dairy producers (99 

percent) are white.