The U.S. State That Produces The Most Honey

Whether you add a sweet drizzle to your tomato sandwich to kick things up a notch, enrich your morning brew with an almost-empty honey jar, or boost your fried chicken recipe with a little liquid gold, honey is one of the most valuable sweeteners a cook has in their arsenal. It's sweeter than sugar, but contains a richer depth of flavor — and as a bonus, it can come in a cute little bottle shaped like a bear. But what state produces the most honey? Is it California, one of our most prominent agricultural states? Or is it New York or Washington? The answer, as it turns out, is ... North Dakota? The state whose biggest claim to fame is people mistakenly assuming it's home to Mount Rushmore? That's the biggest honey producer?

That's right, and it has the lead by a considerable distance, too. In 2024, North Dakota produced over 36 million pounds of honey, which nearly surpassed the yield from the next three highest-producing states — California, South Dakota, and Montana — combined. Obviously the Peace Garden State's pride and joy is vulnerable to environmental threats, such as a spike in bee deaths, but for the time being, North Dakota has been sitting pretty in the number one spot since 2003.

So why is North Dakota such a prolific honey producer? As is so often the case when it comes to agriculture, it has to do with climate and geography. During the summer months, the climate is warm during the day and cool during the night — perfect for honey bees to go out and collect pollen in the wide open spaces of North Dakota for the benefit of their hive, not to mention their beekeeper. The winters, obviously, are much less forgiving, but beekeepers frequently relocate to more temperature-friendly locations at that time of year. North Dakota also boasts a great variety of wildflowers, supporting honey bee pollination, along with a wealth of different flavors and colors of honey.

Something interesting you'll note when looking at honey production stats is that, while North Dakota and neighboring states such as Montana and South Dakota have thriving honey industries, other states in the Upper Midwest, like Iowa and Nebraska, don't produce anywhere near as much product. That's because those states are primarily focused on crops like corn and soybeans, which require acres of pesticide-controlled crops. Although North Dakota also grows corn and soybeans, it's substantially less than Iowa and Nebraska, which means bees are able to pollinate more freely, and the state can take the crown as the top honey producer in the U.S.