Texas produces more crude oil, natural gas, cattle, cotton, wind energy, and semiconductors than any other U.S. state. Its economy spans an unusually wide range of industries, from massive oil fields and sprawling cattle ranches to semiconductor fabrication plants and fighter jet assembly lines. Here’s a breakdown of what the state actually produces and how much of it matters on a national scale.
Oil and Natural Gas
Texas is the dominant force in American energy production. In 2024, the state produced over 2 billion barrels of crude oil, crossing that threshold for the first time in history. Natural gas production hit 12.62 trillion cubic feet the same year, also a record. To put the oil figure in perspective, if Texas were its own country, it would rank among the top oil-producing nations in the world.
Most of this production comes from the Permian Basin in West Texas, one of the most productive oil fields on the planet. The state also has a massive refining infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, turning raw crude into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and petrochemical feedstocks. Petroleum and coal products rank as the state’s second-largest manufacturing export category, worth $68.5 billion in 2025.
Wind and Solar Power
Texas isn’t just a fossil fuel giant. It leads the nation in renewable energy capacity by a wide margin, with roughly 80% more combined solar, wind, and battery capacity than the next closest state. As of the end of 2024, Texas had 42,000 megawatts of wind power and 22,000 megawatts of solar farm capacity installed. Those wind turbines are concentrated in West Texas and the Panhandle, where flat terrain and steady winds create ideal conditions. Solar farms have expanded rapidly across the state’s sun-drenched southern and western regions.
Cattle and Livestock
Texas has more cattle than any other state, and it’s not particularly close. In 2022, cattle brought in $15.5 billion in market value, making it the state’s single most valuable agricultural commodity. That includes beef cattle raised on ranches across the state and feedlot operations that finish animals before processing.
Poultry and eggs rank second at $5 billion, followed by dairy products at $3.5 billion. Large-scale poultry operations are concentrated in East Texas, while dairy farming has grown significantly in the Texas Panhandle over the past two decades. In total, Texas consistently ranks as one of the top two or three states in overall agricultural cash receipts.
Crops: Cotton, Corn, and More
On the crop side, corn and cotton are the two biggest earners. Corn brought in $1.6 billion in market value in 2022, while cotton accounted for $1.4 billion. Texas is the country’s top cotton-producing state, with fields stretching across the South Plains region around Lubbock. Much of the corn is used as livestock feed, which ties directly back to the state’s enormous cattle industry.
Beyond those headliners, Texas also produces significant quantities of grain sorghum, hay, wheat, rice, pecans, and citrus fruits. The Rio Grande Valley in the southern tip of the state grows vegetables and citrus year-round thanks to its subtropical climate.
Semiconductors and Electronics
Texas ranks first in the nation for semiconductor manufacturing capacity, a position it has held for years. The state has been the number one exporter of semiconductors and other electronic components for 14 consecutive years. Computer and electronic products are the state’s largest manufacturing export category overall, worth $70.8 billion in 2025.
Major chip fabrication plants operate in the Austin and Dallas areas, producing processors, memory chips, and other components used in everything from smartphones to automobiles to data centers. The state’s combination of relatively low costs, available land, and existing supply chains has attracted billions of dollars in new semiconductor facility investment.
Aerospace, Defense, and Automotive
Texas produces a wide range of aerospace and defense products, including fighter jets, helicopters, navigation instruments, and components for commercial and military space programs. The state is home to major aircraft assembly facilities and has a long history tied to NASA and military aviation.
The automotive sector has grown significantly as well. Texas is home to more than 730 automotive manufacturing facilities producing motor vehicles, bodies, parts, and trailers. Automotive manufacturing output in the state increased 48% over the past decade, and Texas now ranks second nationally for automotive exports.
Chemicals and Heavy Machinery
The Gulf Coast petrochemical corridor produces enormous quantities of industrial chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, and synthetic materials. Chemical exports from Texas totaled $55.1 billion in 2025, making it the state’s third-largest export category. These chemical plants convert oil and gas byproducts into the raw materials used in manufacturing worldwide.
Texas also produces heavy machinery for farming, mining, construction, and oil field operations. This includes everything from drilling equipment and industrial valves to ball bearings and fabricated metal products. Machinery exports (excluding electrical) reached $26.2 billion in 2025.
Texas as an Export Powerhouse
Across all these industries, Texas has been the number one exporting state in the nation for 23 consecutive years and is the top exporting state for 92 countries around the world. The five largest export categories tell the story of the state’s production mix: computer and electronic products ($70.8 billion), petroleum and coal products ($68.5 billion), chemicals ($55.1 billion), transportation equipment ($28.5 billion), and machinery ($26.2 billion).
What makes Texas unusual is the breadth. Most states dominate in one or two sectors. Texas leads the country in oil, natural gas, wind energy, cattle, cotton, semiconductor manufacturing, and total exports simultaneously. That diversity is a big part of why its economy, measured by GDP, is larger than most countries.