Multiple Sources · 39 states

States With Most Wind Energy

Wind energy is one of America's great renewable success stories. Iowa and Kansas generate over 40% of their electricity from wind, transforming rural economies across the Great Plains. Texas produces the most wind energy in absolute terms. Wind turbines generate revenue for farmers through land lease payments while occupying minimal farmland. Wind has become the cheapest source of new electricity in many areas, beating natural gas and coal on pure economics. The industry employs over 120,000 Americans. Offshore wind is the next frontier, with massive projects planned off the Northeast coast.

Key Findings

1Iowa leads with a wind energy percentage of 62.8%, followed by South Dakota (57.8%) and Kansas (51.6%).
2The gap between #1 Iowa and #39 Delaware (0.1%) is 6270.0 percentage points.
3The national median across all states is 8.7% (Washington at the midpoint).
4The top 10 states are: Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Wyoming.

Full Ranking: States With Most Wind Energy

Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates

#	State	Wind %	Renewable %
1	Wyoming	22.1	25.6
2	Wisconsin	3.1	12.3
3	West Virginia	4	7
4	Washington	8.7	69.5
5	Vermont	15.7	99.8
6	Utah	2.1	20.9
7	Texas	21.9	29.4
8	South Dakota	57.8	81.6
9	Rhode Island	1.8	10
10	Pennsylvania	1.3	3.5
11	Oregon	14.7	61.4
12	Oklahoma	40.4	42.7
13	Ohio	2	5.3
14	North Dakota	34.7	39.5
15	North Carolina	0.4	13.8
16	New York	4.7	30
17	New Mexico	38.1	49.4
18	New Hampshire	2.6	14.9
19	Nevada	0.7	40.2
20	Nebraska	31.9	35.9
21	Montana	21.6	57.4
22	Missouri	10.2	12.1
23	Mississippi	0.4	4.3
24	Minnesota	25.2	32.6
25	Michigan	7.9	12
26	Massachusetts	0.8	19.6
27	Maryland	1.6	10.7
28	Maine	16.7	53.8
29	Kansas	51.6	52
30	Iowa	62.8	65.5
31	Indiana	10.6	14.4
32	Illinois	13.5	15.3
33	Idaho	15.1	68.3
34	Hawaii	7.2	21.2
35	Delaware	0.1	4.4
36	Colorado	29.9	41.3
37	California	7.3	50.8
38	Arizona	2.2	16.3
39	Alaska	1.8	28.2

Methodology

Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa has the highest wind energy percentage at 62.8%, according to Census ACS 2023 data. South Dakota and Kansas round out the top three.

Delaware has the lowest wind energy percentage at 0.1%. North Carolina is second-lowest at 0.4%.

The median across all 39 states is 8.7%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently — the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.

This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.

Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS data (currently 2023 5-Year estimates). The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually, typically in September. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.

Sources: US Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates