Bison Population by State 2023

Notes:
- Posted rates are for bison kept in commercial herds per the USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture
- It is estimated that between 30 million and 60 million bison lived in North America during the mid-1800s. However, they were heavily hunted during the late 1800s, and by 1889 fewer than 600 remained. Careful conservation and breeding efforts enabled the species to avoid extinction. Today, population estimates range from approximately 200,000 to 500,000 bison, with roughly 30,000 living in the wild and the rest in commercial herds.
- In 2017, the National Bison Association set a goal of expanding the bison population to 1 million by 2027.