Does Wisconsin or California produce more cheese?
Matthew Perez
Updated on April 03, 2026
Does Wisconsin or California produce more cheese?
Wisconsin’s nickname as “America’s Dairyland” punctuates the state’s leading position within the U.S. dairy industry. More than two and a half billion pounds of cheese are produced in Wisconsin. California is the second largest producer.
What state has the best cheese in the world?
Wisconsin
Well, Wisconsin is home to the best cheese in the world—and the Taste of Home HQ! Our state also produces 48% of the specialty cheese in the U.S. and currently holds the title for 2017 U.S. Champion Cheese.
What is the cheese capital of the United States?
Plymouth, Wisconsin
Plymouth, Wisconsin, styles itself as “the cheese capital of the world”. The town of 8,445 people, about an hour north of Milwaukee, was once the site of the National Cheese Exchange where cheese commodity prices were set and today about 15% of all US cheese passes through the town.
How much cheese does the state of Wisconsin produce?
In 2010, Wisconsin’s cheese production rose to 2.6 billion pounds (requiring the state cheese industry to import a substantial amount of milk from other states to meet production needs). In 2014, Wisconsin produced 2.9 billion pounds of cheese, accounting for 25.4% of all cheese produced in the U.S.
Which is the best state to make cheese?
America’s Dairyland maintained a 14-year winning streak, capturing more awards than any other state or country. U.S. cheesemakers from California and Vermont took second and third overall honors, respectively, with Oregon and Pennsylvania also finishing strong.
Which is the second largest cheese producing state?
Wisconsin’s nickname as “America’s Dairyland” punctuates the state’s leading position within the U.S. dairy industry. More than two and a half billion pounds of cheese are produced in Wisconsin. California is the second largest producer. As expected, these states also count the highest number of milk cows among all U.S. states.
Who was the first person to make cheese in Wisconsin?
European immigrants who settled in Wisconsin were drawn to its fertile fields. Wisconsin leads the nation in number of dairy plants. Soon, dairy farms sprang up around Wisconsin, and farmers began producing cheese to preserve excess milk. In 1841, Anne Pickett established Wisconsin’s first commercial cheese factory, using milk from neighbors’ cows.