Top U.S. states by number of hogs and pigs 2024

Hogs and pigs are one of the main sources of meat in the United States, and there is a thriving domestic pork market. As of March 2024, Iowa had an inventory of about 25.1 million hogs and pigs, making it the top producer of swine in the country by a large margin. In that same year, the second largest producer of hogs and pigs was Minnesota, with about nine million head. 

Swine Production

Pigs have several advantages over other livestock. They are good at converting animal feed into meat and do not require large grazing areas. In addition, almost every part of the pig can be eaten or processed, making them an efficient source of meat. Thus, raising pigs for consumption is a good investment for small-scale farmers and factory farms alike.

Pork Market in the U.S.

Some of the classic staples of an American breakfast are bacon, sausage, or ham, which are all pork products. Pork is one of the most frequently consumed types of meat in the United States with the average American consuming about 51.1 pounds of pork per year as of 2020. In 2022, over 27 billion pounds of pork were produced in the United States.