US cattle herds hit lowest levels in 75 years, USDA reports

The U.S. cattle herd has dropped, marking its lowest level in 75 years, according to a recent USDA report. The report found there are only 86.2 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of Jan. 1, 2026, which is the lowest number of cattle in America since 1951.

That number went down 0.4% from the previous year, when the herd also hit its lowest level since 1951.

"2025 was the year where we saw record high prices throughout the supply chain, all the way from the cow calf sector all the way to the retail price that us as consumers were paying," Charley Martinez, an assistant agriculture professor at the University of Tennessee, said. "Supply will stay steady to lower, which in the short run, from a supply perspective and a price perspective will keep prices elevated, if not higher than what we saw last year."

Martinez said we are tied for the second-longest cattle herd cycle in history. He said he expects similar record-high prices like we saw last year. However, he said a decrease in demand and herb rebuilding are two reasons we could see prices lower in the future.

"We see a lot of activity from folks saying we want to get into the cattle business, but it's very expensive and land availability is also a trigger," Martinez said. "That's one of the big aspects as to why we see herd rebuilding not occurring. It's just very expensive to get into the market if you're trying to get in right now."

Martinez said Tennessee loses an average of 300 acres per day from housing development and commercial development.

"Given the current prices and the current market landscape and some of the restrictions that come with trying to rebuild — like capital or land availability — I don't expect us to be in a herd rebuilding phase anytime soon," Martinez said.

Bryon Williams has been in the farming business for decades. The multi-generational cattle farmer at RiverView Family Farm has raised beef cattle since he was born. He said the lack of land has led to decreases in his products year after year.