Corn Yield by State

The United States plants about 90 million acres of corn each year and produces roughly 15 billion bushels — more than any other country in the world. But that national number hides enormous variation from state to state. Illinois averages about 214 bushels per acre; Texas averages about 135. The gap reflects differences in soil productivity, rainfall, irrigation, growing season length, and management intensity — not differences in effort. A 180-bushel crop in western Kansas represents excellent management on tough ground; the same 180 in central Illinois would be a disappointing year.

Understanding where your state (and your region within the state) sits on the yield spectrum is essential for setting realistic yield goals and reading your own estimate in the right context. The table and chart below show the major corn-producing states ranked by average yield, with notes on what drives the number in each.

Illinois — 214 bu/ac (the leader)

Illinois leads the nation on the strength of its central prairie soils — the Drummer, Tama, and Flanagan silty clay loams that sit on deep glacial till with high organic matter and excellent water-holding capacity. Central Illinois averages 220-240 bu/ac at the county level. Adequate rainfall (35-40 inches annually), a 170-190 day frost-free season, and dense infrastructure (elevators, ethanol plants, river terminals) complete the picture. Tar spot and nitrogen loss from tiled ground are the main yield-limiting issues.

Iowa — 204 bu/ac (consistent #2)

Iowa is the largest corn-producing state by volume (about 13 million acres) and consistently second in yield. The Tama and Muscatine soils of east-central Iowa are among the most productive in the world. Iowa's advantage is consistency: reliable rainfall, deep soils, and a long growing season produce high yields year after year. The state's dense network of cooperatives and ethanol plants makes marketing easy. Nitrogen management and sudden death syndrome in soybean rotation are ongoing concerns.

Nebraska — 193 bu/ac (the irrigation story)

Nebraska's statewide average blends two very different systems: irrigated corn averaging 220-240 bu/ac and dryland averaging 130-150. About 60% of Nebraska's 9.5 million corn acres are irrigated by center pivots drawing from the Ogallala Aquifer. South-central Nebraska (Dawson, Lincoln, Phelps counties) is the powerhouse. The irrigation buffer makes Nebraska yields less volatile year-to-year than Iowa or Illinois, which depend on summer rainfall.

Minnesota — 181 bu/ac (northern Corn Belt)

Minnesota's shorter growing season (frost-free 140-160 days) limits hybrid maturity to 95-105 days and caps yield potential below Iowa and Illinois. But the deep glacial till soils of south-central Minnesota (the Blue Earth, Webster, and Clarion series) are highly productive, and reliable summer rainfall stabilizes yields. Minnesota is the northernmost major corn state and benefits from cool pollination weather that reduces heat stress.

Indiana — 169 bu/ac (variable by region)

Indiana splits into three yield zones: northern (180-200), central till plains (195-215), and southern unglaciated ground (140-170). The statewide average blends all three. Central Indiana's Crosby-Miami-Brookston soil association is the most productive in the state. Gray leaf spot and tar spot are the main disease pressures; Purdue Extension's long-running corn program (home of the ear count method) supports strong management.

Ohio — 165 bu/ac (eastern Corn Belt)

Ohio's corn ground is similar to Indiana's but slightly cooler and wetter, with a shorter growing season in the north. The Kokomo, Crosby, and Celina soils of western Ohio are the most productive. Ohio's yields are more volatile than Illinois or Iowa due to occasional wet springs that delay planting and compact soils. Gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight are chronic disease pressures.

Kansas — 138 bu/ac (dryland limit)

Kansas is the lowest-yielding major corn state because most of its corn acreage is dryland on the high plains, where summer rainfall is scarce and the growing season is short. Irrigated corn in western Kansas (under Ogallala pivots) yields 220+, but irrigated acreage is limited. Eastern Kansas, with higher rainfall, yields 150-170 on dryland. The statewide average blends low-yielding dryland and high-yielding irrigated acres.

Texas — 135 bu/ac (heat-limited)

Texas corn is concentrated in the High Plains (Lubbock area) under irrigation and along the Gulf Coast. High summer temperatures, limited irrigation water from the declining Ogallala, and a long but hot growing season cap yields. Texas produces about 300 million bushels annually on roughly 2 million acres. The northern High Plains is the most productive region; coastal corn is more variable due to hurricane risk and humid disease pressure.

State averages are useful as a starting point for setting yield goals, but they're a blunt instrument. Your field's five-year average is a much better benchmark, because it reflects your specific soil, drainage, and management. Use the state average as a sanity check: if your five-year average is well below your state's average, there's likely a limiting factor worth diagnosing (drainage, fertility, hybrid choice, planting date). If you're above the state average, you're doing something right — keep doing it.

The most useful version of a state average is the county average, available from USDA NASS for most corn-producing counties. A county average tells you what's achievable on your local soils with typical management, which is a far better target than a statewide blend of irrigated and dryland, prairie and piedmont, central and fringe. Look up your county's most recent NASS yield and use that as your baseline.