State rankings

Bison Population by State

South Dakota has the highest Bison Population in 2022 (33,995), followed by Nebraska (32,206) and Montana (20,466). Mississippi has the lowest (52).

Environment48 states · 1 metricUpdated Apr 23, 2025Original page
6 sources
Bison PopulationBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
44 of 51 states
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Bison Population, 2022

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 44 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
1,409
Middle half 274 – 4,989
Average
4,362
44 states
Highest
33,995
South Dakota
Lowest
52
Mississippi

Biggest changes · 2017 → 2022

42 states have a value in both years.

Largest increases

Largest decreases

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

44 states · # = rank by Bison Population
#
1South Dakota33,995
2Nebraska32,206
3Montana20,466
4North Dakota12,487
5Colorado9,555
6Wyoming8,715
7Kansas8,672
8Texas8,187
9Oklahoma7,137
10Wisconsin6,754
11Idaho5,361
12Kentucky4,865
13New Mexico4,412
14New York3,230
15Minnesota3,109
16Michigan2,789
17Indiana2,032
18Missouri1,979
19Pennsylvania1,686
20Oregon1,489
20Alaska1,489
22Ohio1,451
23Virginia1,366
24Iowa1,337
25Washington1,037
26Illinois952
27Utah805
28California595
29Tennessee536
30West Virginia521
31South Carolina374
32Alabama311
33North Carolina274
34Arkansas273
35Maine247
36Georgia234
37Vermont219
38Florida205
39Maryland159
40Arizona112
41New Hampshire93
42Connecticut91
43Nevada54
44Mississippi52

What correlates with Bison Population (2022)?

Pearson r against 2,108 other state metrics sharing at least 27 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Bison Population tend to score higher on these

  1. Homestead AcreageBest States To Homestead
    r = +0.69 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  2. Max HeightMaximum RV Length by State
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 40
    Plot
  3. # of HomesteadsBest States To Homestead
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  4. Total Area Used for FarmlandStates with the Most Farmland
    r = +0.63 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  5. Foreclosure RateForeclosure Rates by State
    r = +0.62 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  6. Overall Racial Progress ScoreLeast Racist States
    r = +0.60 · strong · n = 44
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Bison Population tend to score lower on these

  1. Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
    r = −0.58 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  2. Average Commute Time (Minutes)Single Mom Friendly States
    r = −0.58 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  3. Average (Minutes)Commute Time by State
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  4. Cocaine Use Rate (Per 100k)Drug Use by State
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  5. Pct of Land Area ForestedMost Forested States in the U.S.
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  6. Forest CoverageOff-Grid Living Legal States
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 44
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Bison Population?
South Dakota has the highest Bison Population in 2022, at 33,995, followed by Nebraska (32,206) and Montana (20,466).
Which state has the lowest Bison Population?
Mississippi has the lowest Bison Population in 2022, at 52.
What is the median Bison Population across US states?
The median is 1,409 across the 44 US states with data in 2022.
Where does this bison population by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Statistics by State - United States Department of Agriculture; Plains bison - US Fish and Wildlife Service; 15 Facts about Our National Mammal: The American Bison - US Department of the Interior; American Bison - Wiki.

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