The States Where Manufacturing Matters Most

Published on Sep 3, 2013

Updated on May 8, 2025

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Domestic manufacturing is under the spotlight. If trade policies limit how many international products enter the US, then stateside factories will aim to fill the gap. Labor market data can tell us what kind of jobs are concentrated in which regions.

Which states have the most manufacturing jobs per capita?

As of the latest data from May 2025, the Midwest dominates US manufacturing, with Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa in the top three. Compared to 2013 (when this article was originally published), Michigan has Ohio as the fourth highest in terms of manufacturing jobs per capita. Kansas keeps its spot for fifth place. 

As for the lowest 5, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, and New Mexico keep their positions, however Maryland has replaced Nevada for the fourth lowest spot. Alaska keeps its spot as fifth lowest. 

Of the 10 states with the most manufacturing jobs per capita, none of the states have fewer manufacturing jobs than they did during 2014. This is encouraging for states where manufacturing is important to their economies, as they have continued to grow over the last decade. 

Employment Concentration by State:

Employment Concentration

Employment Concentration by County:

Employment concentration by county

Location-specific data for sectors and industries are available through Analyst, the Lightcast platform that delivers all the economic and workforce data you need, all in one place. 

The original inspiration for this article was an analysis that looked at the sector’s share of total economic output (Indiana, Oregon, and Louisiana topped the list).