Which States Have the Most Breweries Per Person?

Sixteen states are home to over 100 breweries, led by California’s 524. Many states that lead in beer production are also home to hundreds of breweries with the major exception of Washington, which boasts 243 breweries (fourth-most in the US) but ranked 18th in production in 2022.

Since most breweries are small businesses, the number of breweries per capita is another way to assess their contribution to state and local economies. Vermont breweries produced 322,736 barrels of beer in 2022, ranking 21st nationally — but the state has 7.3 breweries per 100,000 people, the most in the US. During the first quarter of 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Vermont breweries account for 523 jobs supplying over $5.4 million in employee wages. Montana (6.6) and Maine (5.9) rank second and third in breweries per person.