Which state leads in peanuts?
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Answer
Biscuit's fun facts
The peanut plant flowers above ground but makes its peanuts below ground. Its yellow flowers pollinate themselves, then each one sends out a “peg” that grows down, away from the plant, and pushes into the soil. The pod with the peanuts inside develops there, underground. Scientists call this geocarpy, and the peanut's species name, hypogaea, means “under the earth.”
Who says so: North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (NC State University) (opens in a new tab)
Here's the surprise: a peanut isn't really a nut. It belongs to the same group of plants as beans and peas. A U.S. Department of Agriculture bulletin from 1911 put it this way: properly speaking, the peanut is a pea, and the word “nut” was added because it tastes like many true nuts. Other names people have used for it include “ground pea” and “groundnut.”
Compare
Peanuts (pounds, by state, 2024)
Note: measured in pounds. Only the top states are shown; ranks can shift between years. Only the top states are shown here — smaller producers (and states USDA doesn't publish) aren't listed.
Recap
📋 See the ranking table (top 8)
| Rank | State | Value | Share of U.S. total |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | 3,249,400,000 pounds | 50.1% |
| #2 | Alabama | 575,280,000 pounds | 8.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | 567,600,000 pounds | 8.7% |
| #4 | Florida | 549,500,000 pounds | 8.5% |
| #5 | Texas | 549,400,000 pounds | 8.5% |
| #6 | South Carolina | 300,200,000 pounds | 4.6% |
| #7 | Arkansas | 244,200,000 pounds | 3.8% |
| #8 | Virginia | 151,200,000 pounds | 2.3% |
| 🇺🇸 USA (total) | 6,488,820,000 pounds | 100% |
Only the top states are shown here — smaller producers (and states USDA doesn't publish) aren't listed.
Figures are published for 11 states; this table shows the top 8.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (2024)