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In the U.S., there have been approximately three times more beef cows than dairy cows each year since 2001. As of 2025, it was estimated that there were about 28  million beef cows and only about 9.3  million dairy cows. 

Beef vs. dairy cows

Both beef and dairy cows are bred for their respective purposes and farmers often look for different qualities in each. Dairy cows are often bigger, as they can produce a larger volume of milk. Beef cows, on the other hand, are generally shorter, and there is more emphasis on their muscle growth, among other qualities. In 2024, over 26  billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States.

U.S. milk production and consumption

The United States is among the top consumers of milk worldwide, surpassed only by India and the European Union. The annual consumption of milk in the U.S. that year was about 20 million metric tons in 2024. To keep up with this level of consumption, milk production in the U.S. has increased by over 60 billion pounds since 1999 and is expected to exceed 227 billion pounds by 2025. California and Wisconsin were the top producing states as of 2024, producing about  42 and 32 billion pounds of milk, respectively.