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Wisconsin’s dairy herd count has fallen below 5,000 for the first time, highlighting just how dramatically the state’s dairy industry has changed over the past century. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports 4,991 licensed dairy herds as of August 1, down from 5,222 a year earlier. That’s a fraction of the 167,000 herds Wisconsin had in 1930.
Yet despite the steep decline in farms, milk production has remained relatively stable over the past 25 years. The reason is productivity.
Wisconsin cows averaged 25,599 pounds of milk in 2025, compared with just 5,140 pounds in 1933. The state now has about 1.29 million dairy cows, nearly unchanged since 2001. Meanwhile, the average herd has grown to about 260 cows.
The numbers show Wisconsin dairy farming has become far more concentrated, but also far more productive.
NAFB news service
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