What is in this article?:
- Which Counties in the U.S. Grow the Most Corn, Soybeans?
- Soybean Concentration
- Data collection
Both corn and soybean production is relatively concentrated in the Corn Belt, Upper Midwest, parts of the Great Plains and the Mississippi River Region. In some senses, the relatively small region that accounts for most of the production may be surprising. Obviously, production changes in these regions will have large impacts on total U.S. production.
Soybean production has about the same concentration as corn. To arrive at 50% of total U.S. production it takes 256 counties for soybeans, compared to 220 counties for corn. To arrive at 75% of total U.S. production, it takes 486 counties for soybeans, compared to 456 for corn. To arrive at 90% of total U.S. production, it takes 743 counties for soybeans, compared 753 counties for corn.
The soybean production region has similarities to corn (see map). Most of U.S. production can be accounted for beginning in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota and Minnesota), coming through the Corn Belt and periphery states (South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio) and down the Mississippi River (Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana). Compared to corn, more soybean production occurs around the Mississippi River and less in the western Great Plains.