Which State Produces the Most Turkeys in the United States: Why Minnesota Still Wears the Crown

If you’re sitting down to a holiday dinner or just grabbing a quick deli sandwich on a Tuesday, there’s a massive chance your meal started its journey in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Most people assume the big agricultural powerhouses like Texas or Iowa would lead the pack when it comes to poultry, but honestly, the turkey world has a very specific hierarchy that rarely shifts.

Minnesota is the undisputed heavyweight champion of turkey production.

It isn't even a close race in most years. While other states like North Carolina and Arkansas are definitely in the conversation, Minnesota has built an infrastructure that basically makes it the "Silicon Valley" of turkey farming. In 2025, the state maintained its top spot by raising roughly 32 million birds. That is a staggering number when you realize that's nearly one-sixth of all the turkeys raised in the entire country.

Which state produces the most turkeys in the United States?

To understand why Minnesota dominates, you have to look at more than just the raw numbers. It's a combination of history, feed access, and a very dedicated network of family-owned farms. Most people think of "factory farms" when they hear about millions of birds, but in Minnesota, it's actually about 600 individual farms and 450 growers who treat this like a craft.

But here is where it gets kinda complicated.

Depending on how you measure "most," the answer can actually change. If you are counting the number of individual birds (head count), Minnesota is the winner, hands down. However, if you measure by total pounds produced, North Carolina often gives them a serious run for their money.

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Why? Because North Carolina farmers tend to raise much larger, heavier birds, often destined for further processing into deli meats and turkey parts rather than whole-bird holiday roasting. In 2025, while Minnesota held the title for the most birds at 32 million, North Carolina followed closely with 28 million, but those North Carolina birds are often absolute units.

The Heavy Hitters of 2025

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) keeps a hawk-eye on these numbers, and their September 2025 report laid out the "Big Six" that account for about 68% of the nation's supply:

1. Minnesota: 32 million birds.
2. North Carolina: 28 million birds (actually seeing a 4% growth recently).
3. Arkansas: 22 million birds.
4. Indiana: 20 million birds.
5. Missouri: 15 million birds.
6. Virginia: 15 million birds.

It’s a bit of a Midwestern and Southern dominance. You’ve got the corn-rich states like Indiana and Missouri providing the feed, and the Southern states like Arkansas and North Carolina offering the processing power.

Why Minnesota Stays on Top

You might wonder why a state that freezes solid for four months a year is the best place to raise a bird that originally came from the Mexican jungles. It’s mostly about the corn and soybeans. Turkeys eat a lot. Like, a lot. Having the feed grown right next door to the barns saves a fortune in logistics.

Also, the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association is one of the oldest and most organized groups in the country. They’ve invested heavily in research at the University of Minnesota, specifically focused on avian health. This became a big deal recently with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) scares. Minnesota's biosecurity protocols are basically the gold standard for the rest of the world.

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The Economic Meat on the Bones

We aren't just talking about drumsticks here. This is a massive business. In Minnesota alone, the turkey industry generates about $12 billion in economic impact. It supports over 46,000 jobs. When you buy a turkey, you're supporting a chain that includes corn farmers, truck drivers, hatchery workers, and scientists.

Arkansas is another fascinating case. While they rank third in bird count, they are the "Home of the Butterball." If you buy a Butterball branded whole turkey for Thanksgiving—whether you're in New York or Seattle—there’s a massive chance it was processed in Huntsville or Ozark, Arkansas. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders even proclaimed "Arkansas Turkey Week" in late 2025 to celebrate the fact that the state provides about 12.5% of all U.S. turkey protein.

Misconceptions About Your Bird

There is a common myth that turkey is only a "seasonal" industry. That couldn't be further from the truth. While November is obviously the "Super Bowl" for these farmers, the industry has shifted heavily toward year-round consumption.

Think about it:

• Ground turkey as a lean beef substitute.
• Deli slices for school lunches.
• Turkey bacon (which has a cult following).
• High-protein snacks and jerky.

Because of this, production is a 365-day-a-year operation. Hatchery data from early 2026 shows that over 25 million eggs were in incubators at the start of the year. The industry is actually projected to grow by about 4.2% in 2026 as production rebounds from some of the supply chain dips we saw in 2024 and 2025.

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What’s Changing in the Industry?

Honestly, the biggest shift right now is bird size. In the 1960s, the average turkey weighed about 18 pounds. Today? The average is closer to 33 pounds. We’ve gotten much better at genetics and nutrition (without using hormones, which is a common misconception—hormones are actually illegal in U.S. poultry production).

Another big trend is the "small farm" movement. While states like North Carolina have massive industrial operations, there’s a growing market for pasture-raised, heritage-breed turkeys. Places like Nomad Farms in North Carolina are seeing huge demand from people who want a bird raised in a "natural habitat," even if it costs three times as much as the grocery store special.

Actionable Insights for the Consumer

If you’re looking to be a more "informed" turkey eater, here are a few things you can actually do:

• Check the Plant Code: Every USDA-inspected turkey has a "P-number" on the bag (usually near the weight). You can look this up on the USDA website to see exactly which state and facility your bird came from.
• Understand the "Fresh" Label: To be labeled "fresh," the turkey can never have been below 26°F. If it was frozen and then thawed by the grocer, it cannot legally be called fresh.
• Buy Early for Savings: Production fluctuates. In 2024, prices dropped to around $0.94 per pound, but they are projected to climb toward $1.20 or more in late 2025 and 2026 due to rising feed costs.

The turkey industry is a weirdly fascinating mix of high-tech science and old-school farming. Whether it's Minnesota's massive numbers or North Carolina's heavy hitters, the "turkey belt" of America is what keeps that protein on your plate year-round.

To keep track of the most current prices and production shifts, monitoring the USDA's "Turkeys Raised" annual reports, typically released every September, provides the most granular data for the upcoming holiday seasons. Knowing the origin of your food isn't just trivia; it's a way to understand the massive agricultural engine that powers the American economy.