According to National Beef Wire, Oklahoma is Number 2 when it comes to Beef Cows.
Texas leads the country in beef cow numbers, accounting for nearly 15% of all beef cows in the United States with more than 4.0 million head. Oklahoma and Missouri follow as the second- and third-largest beef cow states, reinforcing the dominance of the Southern Plains and Midwest in U.S. cow-calf production.
In total, seven states now have more than one million beef cows, including Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, and Kansas.
When combined, the top 10 beef cow states account for roughly 15.8 million head, representing about 57% of the entire U.S. beef cow herd, highlighting how heavily concentrated beef production remains across the central and Plains regions of the country.
Top 10 States With the Most Beef Cows (2026)
Total U.S. Beef Cow Inventory: 27.6 million head
Texas — 4,045,000 head (14.65%) 
Oklahoma — 1,966,000 head (7.12%) 
Missouri — 1,806,000 head (6.54%) 
Nebraska — 1,560,000 head (5.65%) 
South Dakota — 1,450,000 head (5.25%) 
Montana — 1,232,000 head (4.46%) 
Kansas — 1,145,000 head (4.15%) 
North Dakota — 891,000 head (3.23%) 
Florida — 872,000 head (3.16%) 
Kentucky — 862,000 head (3.12%) 
U.S. CATTLE REPORT https://www.nationalbeefwire.com/u-s-cattle-report
