U.S. states with highest cotton production 2021 | Statista (2024)
This statistic shows the leading ten U.S. states with the highest cotton production in 2021. In that year, Texas was estimated to produce about 7.63 million bales of cotton. The United States in total were ranked as third leading cotton producing country worldwide in 2020/2021.
Cotton production
The production of cotton is one of the United States’ most important industries. The country was the world’s third largest cotton producer after China and India, as well as the leading global cotton exporter in 2020/2021.
In terms of cotton production by state, U.S. cotton is mostly grown and harvested in the Southern states, also known as the “Cotton Belt” where cotton plantations were established in the 1800s. According to 2014 estimates, the federal state of Texas, the nation’s top cotton producing state, accounted for more than 42 percent of the country’s total cotton production, followed by Georgia with roughly 18 percent. More than 1.8 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of cotton was produced in Texas in 2019.
Upland cotton is the nation’s most commonly cultivated variety of cotton. American Pima, a finer and more expensive cotton fiber, is mainly cultivated in Arizona and California. In 2021, the United States allocated some 11.22 million acres of land for planting cotton.Approximately 17.6 million bales of cotton were produced that year.
Cotton is typically used in the production of textiles. Hence Bangladesh, a leader in textile manufacturing, was the second largest cotton importer in 2020/2021.
According to 2014 estimates, the federal state of Texas, the nation's top cotton producing state, accounted for more than 42 percent of the country's total cotton production
cotton production
Cotton production in the United States fluctuates significantly from year to year. In 2022, around 14.68 million bales of cotton were produced in the United States, a decrease from about 17.5 million bales in the previous year.
Among the U.S. States, Texas is the largest producer, contributing approximately 40 percent of U.S. cotton production in recent years. Other top cotton producers include Georgia, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
Almost all of the cotton fiber growth and production occurs in the Southern United States and the Western United States, dominated by Texas, California, Arizona, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. More than 99 percent of the cotton grown in the US is of the Upland variety, with the rest being American Pima.
Cotton production in the United States is primarily concentrated in the southern and southwestern regions of the country, where the climate and soil conditions are optimal for growing the crop. The leading cotton-producing states include Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
Where is cotton grown in the U.S.? Cotton is grown in 17 states stretching across the southern half of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie" and the "Cotton State". The state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia. Alabama's capital is Montgomery, and its largest city by population and area is Huntsville.
In order to grow properly, cotton requires a warm climate, so the American south is the ideal place for it to be harvested. In the 1730s, England began using American cotton as part of its clothing industry. The cotton from the American south was shipped overseas so the English could spin it into clothing and textiles.
By 1835, the five main cotton-growing states—South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana—produced more than 500 million pounds of “Petit Gulf” for a global market stretching from New Orleans to New York to London, Liverpool, Paris and beyond.
Cotton production in Mississippi exploded from nothing in 1800 to 535.1 million pounds in 1859; Alabama ranked second with 440.5 million pounds. Mississippi and its neighbors – Alabama, western Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas – provided the cheap land that was suitable for cotton production.
Thanks to their unique climates, just six states account for 99% of the country's upland and pima cotton production: Texas, California, Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, and Florida.
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