There are roughly 100 million turkeys that live on farms across the United States. On Thanksgiving, we’re expected to eat 46 million of them.
6 states produce almost all the turkey in the US
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Turkeys live pretty much everywhere in the United States, as you can see in this map below — which uses 2012 data from the USDA. (That’s the last time the agency conducted an agricultural census.)
But two states really lead the way in turkey production: Minnesota and North Carolina.
Sarah Frostenson
Alongside Minnesota and North Carolina, four other states are responsible for almost all turkey production in the US
The latest 2016 numbers from the USDA show that two-thirds of turkeys produced in the US hail from six states.
Minnesota leads the nation in turkey production, with 44 million turkeys. Next is North Carolina, with 33 million turkeys.
Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia round out the list, with each state contributing more than 15 million turkeys annually.
Overall, turkey production is up in 2016, which is good news. In 2015, American farmers suffered through the worst bout of avian flu in history. The epidemic killed nearly 50 million birds, many of which were chicken and turkeys. According to Fortune, the outbreak cost farmers nearly $191 million in lost revenue.
More Americans are eating turkey, too, as different cuts of turkey rise in popularity
Americans no longer just buy whole turkeys. Ground turkey, turkey breasts, and turkey deli slices are also popular turkey products, according to National Turkey Federation spokesperson Kimmon Williams.
Williams told me via email that since the 1970s, turkey has been the fourth most popular meat in the US, and that the amount of turkey people eat annually has doubled from about 8 pounds to 16 pounds.
Most turkey in the US is still consumed through supermarkets and retail, but in recent years, National Turkey Federation data has shown turkey gaining ground in the food service industry as well.
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