Michigan Dairy Facts

Michigan’s dairy industry provides nutritious foods produced and processed locally while making a significant economic impact on communities across the state.

Here are some fun facts about one of our state’s largest agricultural industries:

• 97% of Michigan dairy farms are family owned, many of them by multiple generations of the same family.  
• Michigan has nearly 900 dairy farm families who care for about 440,000 cows.  
• The average dairy herd in Michigan has just over 500 cows. Just like businesses grow to support families, herd sizes increase to allow the next generation to continue farming.  
• Michigan ranks 6th in milk production in the United States producing over 11 billion pounds of milk.  
• Michigan is ranked first in milk production per cow. The average Michigan cow produces over 27,000 pounds of milk each year. That is over 3,100 gallons of milk! 
• Milk in Michigan is local! Michigan dairy farms produce enough milk to supply the entire state, and the extra milk is exported to other states to meet their demands.  
• Each container of milk is identified by a 5-digit code. The code includes a 2-digit state code, followed by a 3-digit processing plant code. Milk packaged in Michigan is identified by the state code 26.  
• There are over 100 dairy processing plants in Michigan. In addition to bottling milk into gallon, half-gallon, and pint size containers, they also process cheese, ice cream, yogurt, dry milk powder, and infant formula. 
• Michigan’s dairy industry provides jobs, such as employing veterinarians, equipment dealers, and farm employees. One dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy.  
• In supermarkets and many local farmers markets, you can find milk, cheese, and yogurt produced by milk from Michigan dairy farmers. When you buy Michigan dairy foods, you not only “buy local” and support area farmers, but you are also buying quality.  
• Only 1.7% of the U.S. population produces food for us and millions of people worldwide. 
• Michigan’s dairy industry contributes over 15 billion dollars to the state’s economy.  

Industry statistics updated in January 2024, sourced from USDA ERS – Dairy Data.