There were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on US farms as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Cattle report published by the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service

Other key findings in the report:

• Of the 86.7 million head inventory, all cows and heifers that have calved totaled 37.2 million.
• There were 27.9 million beef cows in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2025, down 1% from last year.
• The number of milk cows in the United States increased slightly to 9.35 million.
• US calf crop was estimated at 33.5 million head, down slightly from the previous year.
• All cattle on feed were at 14.3 million head, down 1% from 2024.

To obtain an accurate measurement of the current state of the US cattle industry, NASS surveyed approximately 36,100 operators across the US during the first half of January. Surveyed producers were asked to report their cattle inventories as of Jan. 1, 2025, and calf crop for the entire year of 2024 by internet, mail, telephone or in-person interview.

Source: USDA's NASS