In many states, the manufacturing industry is the largest industry in terms of real GDP.
In a recent Forbes article, we examined U.S. GDP by state and which states have seen the fastest growth in GDP. Here, we’re focusing on what are the biggest industries in each U.S. in terms of their real GDP as of fourth quarter 2021, the latest data available from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Real GDP is a more accurate measure of economic output because nominal GDP doesn’t take into effect inflation, and thus makes it appear as though GDP is on a near constant march upward year after year, when in reality the value of economic output may have not increased. Real GDP figures here are in chained 2012 dollars.
Read on to find out the biggest industry by GDP in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
Alabama
Biggest industry in Alabama: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $42.06 billion
Real GDP: $38.23 billion
Manufacturing is the largest industry by GDP in Alabama, as of fourth quarter 2021. With approximately $38.23 billion in output, Alabama’s manufacturing industry has always been strong. Over the last five years, Alabama’s manufacturing output rose by 14.2%, from $33.46 billion to $38.23 billion. Overall, the Alabama GDP for all industries total is $207.83 billion, in real GDP terms. This means that manufacturing in Alabama accounts for 18.4% of the state’s total economic output.
Alaska
Biggest industry in Alaska: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $7.92 billion
Real GDP: $10.18 billion
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction is the biggest industry and contributor to the total Alaska GDP of $50.72 billion. It accounts for 20.1%, or a little over a fifth, of Alaska’s economic output in fourth quarter 2021.
Arizona
Biggest industry in Arizona: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $63.35 billion
Real GDP: $50.82 billion
The total Arizona GDP for fourth quarter 2021 is an estimated $343.94 billion. Arizona’s biggest industry — real estate and rental and leasing — accounts for 14.8% of the state’s total economic output. Over the last 10 years, real estate and rental and leasing industry output has increased by nearly a quarter (24.1%): From $40.96 billion in fourth quarter 2011, to $50.82 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Arkansas
Biggest industry in Arkansas: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $22.56 billion
Real GDP: $19.08 billion
Arkansas is one of many states in which the manufacturing industry is the dominant industry in terms of value of output. The Arkansas GDP of all industries in total is an estimated $122.27 billion, as of fourth quarter 2021, and manufacturing accounts for 15.6% of this total.
California
Biggest industry in California: Information
Nominal GDP: $370.8 billion
Real GDP: $434.79 billion
The California GDP of all industries in total is an estimated $2.95 trillion, which the information industry accounting for 14.8% of this total economic output. California’s information industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, faster than all other industries. From fourth quarter 2016 to fourth quarter 2021, the information industry real GDP grew by 67.5%, $259.57 billion to $434.79 billion, respectively. And over the last 10 years, information industry real GDP grew by an incredible 191.9%, from $148.96 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to where it stands now.
Colorado
Biggest industry in Colorado: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $64.03 billion
Real GDP: $51.03 billion
Colorado’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has always been the biggest industry in the state, going back to 2011. Though it is still the largest industry in the state in terms of real GDP, real estate and rental and leasing actually accounted for a larger portion of the total Colorado GDP back in 2011, when it contributed between 15% to 15.2% to Colorado’s total economic output. As of fourth quarter 2021, real estate and rental and leasing accounts for 13.7% of Colorado GDP, which is equal to $373.1 billion in total, in fourth quarter 2021.
Connecticut
Biggest industry in Connecticut: Finance and insurance
Nominal GDP: $46.80 billion
Real GDP: $35.12 billion
Connecticut’s finance and insurance industry has consistently been the state’s strongest industry in terms of real economic output. But in the past, it was sometimes overtaken by Connecticut’s real estate and rental and leasing industry, but not anymore. As of fourth quarter 2021, the Connecticut GDP for all industries in total was $251.07 billion, with its finance and insurance industry accounting for 14% of that total.
Delaware
Biggest industry in Delaware: Finance and insurance
Nominal GDP: $22.35 billion
Real GDP: $15.48 billion
Delaware is home to many headquarters of corporations, including financial businesses. With an estimated real GDP of $15.48 billion, the finance and insurance industry accounts for 23.5% of the total Delaware GDP of $65.87 billion. However, Delaware’s finance and insurance industry is actually down 9.6% in real economic output compared to five years ago, when its real GDP was $17.12 billion in fourth quarter 2016.
District of Columbia
Biggest industry in DC: Federal civilian government
Nominal GDP: $43.31 billion
Real GDP: $35.49 billion
Not surprisingly, the largest industry in the nation’s capital is federal civilian government, with a real GDP of $35.49 billion in fourth quarter 2021. This industry accounts for 27.8% of the total DC GDP of $127.7 billion, though its contribution to total GDP has actually declined slightly over the years. Back in first quarter 2011, the federal civilian government accounted for 29.8% of total DC GDP in real output.
Florida
Biggest industry in Florida: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $236.03 billion
Real GDP: $188.76 billion
Florida GDP ranks among the largest in the U.S., with a total real GDP of over $1.03 trillion in fourth quarter 2021. Florida’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounts for 18.2% of total Florida GDP. Over the last 10 years, Florida’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has increased by 42.5%, from a real GDP of $132.44 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to $188.76 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Georgia
Biggest industry in Georgia: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $100.43 billion
Real GDP: $81.79 billion
Georgia GDP totals an estimated $580.63 billion in real economic output for fourth quarter 2021. And Georgia’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounts for 14.1% of that total. Over the years, this industry’s contribution to the total Georgia GDP has increased noticeably, from accounting for 11.8% in first quarter 2011, up to 14.1% in fourth quarter 2021. Real estate and rental and leasing has also seen its real economic output rise by more than 50% over the last 10 years, from $54.21 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to $81.79 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Hawaii
Biggest industry in Hawaii: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $16.47 billion
Real GDP: $13.23 billion
The largest industry in Hawaii is the real estate and rental and leasing industry, with a real GDP of $13.23 billion. That accounts for 17.4% of Hawaii GDP in real terms in fourth quarter 2021, which stands at $75.98 billion in total.
Idaho
Biggest industry in Idaho: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $12.9 billion
Real GDP: $10.22 billion
Idaho’s real estate and rental and leasing industry is the biggest in the state in terms of real economic output. As of fourth quarter 2021, total Idaho GDP is $79.08 billion, of which the real estate and rental and leasing industry accounts for 12.9% of it.
Illinois
Biggest industry in Illinois: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $128.21 billion
Real GDP: $109.88 billion
As is common with states of the Midwest, manufacturing is the largest industry in Illinois, with a real economic output valued at $109.88 billion in fourth quarter 2021. This accounts for 14% of the total Illinois GDP of $784.94 in fourth quarter 2021. What’s more, over the last five years, Illinois’s manufacturing industry has grown by 14% in real output, from $96.43 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $109.88 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Indiana
Biggest industry in Indiana: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $118.03 billion
Real GDP: $103.97 billion
The manufacturing industry is still king in Indiana, with a real GDP of $103.97 billion, dwarfing the output of the second-largest industry — real estate and rental and leasing — which was an estimated $34.87 billion in fourth quarter 2021. Total Indiana GDP in fourth quarter 2021 was $357.28 billion and manufacturing accounts for an impressive 29.1% of that total.
Iowa
Biggest industry in Iowa: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $39.93 billion
Real GDP: $31.71 billion
As of fourth quarter 2021, Iowa GDP is approximately $140.05 billion in real terms, and the manufacturing industry accounts for 17.6% of that total. Iowa’s manufacturing industry has grown by 17.3% in real GDP from five years, from $27.03 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $31.71 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Kansas
Biggest industry in Kansas: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $30.92 billion
Real GDP: $27.05 billion
Manufacturing is the top industry in Kansas, reporting real economic output valued at $27.05 billion in fourth quarter 2021. For that same period, total Kansas GDP was an estimated $163.26 billion, and thus manufacturing accounts for 16.6% of total state real GDP.
Kentucky
Biggest industry in Kentucky: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $43.09 billion
Real GDP: $37.68 billion
The manufacturing industry has long been Kentucky’s most robust industry in terms of real economic output. Out of the total estimated Kentucky GDP of $196.95 billion in fourth quarter 2021, manufacturing accounts for 19.1% of it.
Louisiana
Biggest industry in Louisiana: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $45.77 billion
Real GDP: $49.85 billion
Home to the Big Easy, Louisiana’s top industry in terms of real GDP is its manufacturing industry. With a real economic output of $49.85 billion in fourth quarter 2021, the state’s manufacturing industry accounts for more than a fifth (21.6%) of total Louisiana GDP, which is $230.53 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Maine
Biggest industry in Maine: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $12.64 billion
Real GDP: $10.03 billion
As with some other New England states, the biggest industry in Maine is the real estate and rental and leasing industry. With a real GDP of roughly $10.03 billion in fourth quarter 2021, the real estate and rental and leasing industry accounted for 15.9% of total Maine GDP, which was $62.88 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Maryland
Biggest industry in Maryland: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $64.98 billion
Real GDP: $52.47 billion
Maryland GDP in real terms was an estimated $367.54 billion in fourth quarter 2021. For that same period, Maryland’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounted for 15.9% of the state’s total GDP. Despite this, Maryland’s real estate and rental and leasing industry’s GDP has actually declined by 10.1% over the last five years: From $58.38 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $52.47 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Massachusetts
Biggest industry in Massachusetts: Professional, scientific, and technical services
Nominal GDP: $94.89 billion
Real GDP: $89.04 billion
Massachusetts GDP in real terms was $543.33 billion in fourth quarter 2021, up 13.8% from five years before. Massachusetts’s professional, scientific, and technical services industry accounts for 16.4% of the state’s total real GDP.
Michigan
Biggest industry in Michigan: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $107.71 billion
Real GDP: $92.05 billion
Home to the Motor City, Michigan is still heavily a manufacturing state. Total Michigan GDP in real terms in fourth quarter 2021 was an estimated $481.77 billion, with the state’s manufacturing industry accounting for nearly a fifth of total GDP (19.1%).
Minnesota
Biggest industry in Minnesota: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $59.57 billion
Real GDP: $53.25 billion
Minnesota’s largest industry in real GDP terms is manufacturing, which accounted for 15.2% of total Minnesota GDP ($351.25 billion) in fourth quarter 2021. Over the last 10 years, Minnesota’s manufacturing industry has increased real economic output by 23.5%: From an estimated $43.13 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to $53.25 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Mississippi
Biggest industry in Mississippi: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $19.38 billion
Real GDP: $17.58 billion
Manufacturing is the biggest industry in Mississippi, with a real GDP of an estimated $17.58 billion in fourth quarter 2021, accounting for 16.7% of total Mississippi GDP, which was $105.04 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Missouri
Biggest industry in Missouri: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $46.22 billion
Real GDP: $37.16 billion
Missouri is yet another Midwest state where the biggest industry is manufacturing, which reported a real GDP of $37.16 billion in fourth quarter 2021. That made manufacturing account for 12.4% of total Missouri GDP of $299.17 billion in the same period.
Montana
Biggest industry in Montana: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $8.16 billion
Real GDP: $6.53 billion
Montana has become a hotspot for real estate, and thus the state’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has become the largest industry in the state in terms of real GDP. Total Montana GDP was an estimated $49.77 billion in real economic output, and the real estate and rental and leasing industry accounted for 13.1% of it.
Nebraska
Biggest industry in Nebraska: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $18.72 billion
Real GDP: $14.43 billion
The manufacturing industry in Nebraska has always been one of the principal contributors to the state’s overall economic output. As of fourth quarter 2021, Nebraska GDP totaled an estimated $123.42 billion, with its manufacturing industry accounting for 11.7% of that total economic output. This is an improvement over where it was five years ago, when manufacturing’s real GDP was 10.95 billion in fourth quarter 2016 and contributed only 9.6% to the total Nebraska GDP.
Nevada
Biggest industry in Nevada: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $28.64 billion
Real GDP: $23.24 billion
Nevada has become a top state for Americans on the move and looking for a new place to settle down. As a result, Nevada’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has been particularly strong for some years now. In fourth quarter 2021, Nevada GDP for all industries combined was $159.71 billion. The state’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounts for 14.6% of that total.
New Hampshire
Biggest industry in New Hampshire: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $14.82 billion
Real GDP: $11.78 billion
Like its neighbor Vermont, New Hampshire’s largest industry is real estate and rental and leasing. As of fourth quarter 2021, New Hampshire GDP is $83.72 billion in real economic output, with the state’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounting for 14.1% of its total real GDP.
New Jersey
Biggest industry in New Jersey: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $106 billion
Real GDP: $84.41 billion
New Jersey GDP in real terms stood at $572.75 billion as of fourth quarter 2021. During that period, New Jersey’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounted for 14.7% of total state GDP. However, New Jersey’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has declined by 2.2% over the last 10 years in terms of real output: From $86.34 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to $84.41 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
New Mexico
Biggest industry in New Mexico: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $12.32 billion
Real GDP: $14.94 billion
In nominal GDP terms, New Mexico’s biggest industry is state and local government, but in real GDP terms, the largest is the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry. New Mexico GDP in real terms was an estimated $96.49 billion in fourth quarter 2021, and the state’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry accounted for 15.5% of that total.
New York
Biggest industry in New York: Finance and insurance
Nominal GDP: $410.19 billion
Real GDP: $267.86 billion
Home to Wall Street, it’s not surprising that New York’s largest industry in terms of real GDP is the finance and insurance industry. New York GDP in fourth quarter 2021 totaled an estimated $1.52 trillion, and the state’s finance and insurance industry accounted for 17.7% of it.
North Carolina
Biggest industry in North Carolina: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $118.99 billion
Real GDP: $94.49 billion
Like its neighbor to the south, North Carolina’s largest industry in terms of real economic output is manufacturing. In fourth quarter 2021, the state’s manufacturing industry accounted for 17.4% of total North Carolina GDP, which was $544.02 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
North Dakota
Biggest industry in North Dakota: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $11.43 billion
Real GDP: $12.24 billion
Being home to a recent energy boom, it’s understandable that North Dakota’s largest industry is mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, which accounted for 22% of total North Dakota GDP in fourth quarter 2021, when the state’s total real GDP was $55.53 billion.
Ohio
Biggest industry in Ohio: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $124.52 billion
Real GDP: $109.41 billion
The largest industry in terms of real GDP is the manufacturing industry, which has grown by 11.9% over the last 10 years: From an estimated $97.79 billion in fourth quarter 2011 to $109.41 billion in fourth quarter 2021. Manufacturing now accounts for 17.5% of total Ohio GDP in real terms.
Oklahoma
Biggest industry in Oklahoma: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $19.83 billion
Real GDP: $35.29 billion
In nominal GDP terms, both the real estate and rental and leasing industry and the manufacturing industry in Oklahoma rank higher than mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. But when looking at it in real GDP terms, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction takes the cake, with its $35.29 billion output accounting for 17.5% of total Oklahoma GDP, which was $198.83 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Oregon
Biggest industry in Oregon: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $38.22 billion
Real GDP: $35.36 billion
Oregon is another state in which its largest industry changes depending on whether you’re talking in terms of nominal GDP versus real GDP. In nominal GDP terms, the largest industry is real estate and rental and leasing. But since we’re talking about real GDP, Oregon’s largest industry is manufacturing, whose estimated $35.36 billion output in fourth quarter 2021 accounts for 15.4% of total Oregon GDP of $229.88 billion.
Pennsylvania
Biggest industry in Pennsylvania: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $113.17 billion
Real GDP: $98.6 billion
The largest industry in the Keystone State is manufacturing, which has experienced growth of 17.9% over the last five years: From $83.61 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $98.6 billion in fourth quarter 2021. Pennsylvania GDP in fourth quarter 2021 in real terms was $726.16 billion and manufacturing accounts for 13.6% of that.
Rhode Island
Biggest industry in Rhode Island: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $9.35 billion
Real GDP: $7.43 billion
Total Rhode Island GDP in real terms was an estimated $55.45 billion in fourth quarter 2021, with its real estate and rental and leasing industry accounting for 13.4% of that total. However, Rhode Island’s real estate and rental and leasing industry has not faired well over the years, declining by 9.6% from fourth quarter 2011 ($8.22 billion) to fourth quarter 2021 ($7.43 billion).
South Carolina
Biggest industry in South Carolina: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $42.82 billion
Real GDP: $35.42 billion
Total South Carolina GDP in real terms was $224.54 billion in fourth quarter 2021, and the state’s manufacturing industry accounted for 15.8% of that total. Though high, back in fourth quarter 2011, South Carolina’s manufacturing industry accounted for even more of the state’s total GDP, at roughly 16.7%.
South Dakota
Biggest industry in South Dakota: Finance and insurance
Nominal GDP: $11.54 billion
Real GDP: $7.28 billion
South Dakota’s biggest industry is its finance and insurance industry, which accounts for nearly 15% of total South Dakota GDP as of fourth quarter 2021. That said, South Dakota’s finance and insurance industry has barely increased its real economic output, rising by only 2.2% over the last five years: From $7.13 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $7.28 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Tennessee
Biggest industry in Tennessee: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $67.75 billion
Real GDP: $55.87 billion
Like so many states of the Midwest and South, Tennessee’s biggest industry is manufacturing, with a real GDP of $55.87 billion in fourth quarter 2021, accounting for 15.9% of total Tennessee GDP for the same period.
Texas
Biggest industry in Texas: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $248.1 billion
Real GDP: $237.94 billion
In terms of nominal GDP, the real estate and rental and leasing industry is the largest in Texas. However, when analyzing in terms of real GDP, the biggest industry in Texas is manufacturing, with output valued at an estimated $237.94 billion in fourth quarter 2021. Manufacturing accounts for 12.6% of total Texas GDP in fourth quarter 2021, down substantially from first quarter 2011 when it accounted for 16%.
Utah
Biggest industry in Utah: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $26.89 billion
Real GDP: $25.66 billion
When looking at nominal GDP in fourth quarter 2021, Utah’s largest industry is real estate and rental and leasing. However, when examining it in terms of real GDP, Utah’s biggest industry is actually manufacturing. Total Utah GDP in fourth quarter 2021 was $186.13 billion and the state’s manufacturing industry accounted for 13.8% of that total, the same level of contribution for every quarter of 2021.
Vermont
Biggest industry in Vermont: Real estate and rental and leasing
Nominal GDP: $5.13 billion
Real GDP: $4.05 billion
Vermont GDP is one of the smaller ones in the U.S., with real economic output for all industries totaling $30.13 billion in fourth quarter 2021. Vermont’s real estate and rental and leasing industry accounts for 13.4% of the state’s total real GDP. However, over both the last five years and the last 10 years, the real estate and rental and leasing industry’s real GDP has dropped by 4.3% and 8.2%, respectively.
Virginia
Biggest industry in Virginia: Professional, scientific, and technical services
Nominal GDP: $79.77 billion
Real GDP: $77.59 billion
Virginia GDP in fourth quarter 2021 was an estimated $500.94 billion, and its professional, scientific, and technical services industry accounted for 15.5% of the state’s total real economic output. What’s more, Virginia’s professional, scientific, and technical services industry has increased the value of its output by 21.5% over the last five years: From $63.88 billion in fourth quarter 2016 to $77.59 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
Washington
Biggest industry in Washington: Information
Nominal GDP: $116.36 billion
Real GDP: $129.13 billion
It’s perhaps not surprising that the information industry would be Washington state’s largest in terms of real GDP, considering the Seattle area is such a major hub for tech companies. The total Washington GDP in fourth quarter 2021 was an estimated $582.1 billion, up nearly 25% from five years ago. Washington’s information industry accounts for 22.2% of the state’s total real GDP of $582.1 billion, which is the largest percentage the industry has contributed to total GDP over the last 10 years.
West Virginia
Biggest industry in West Virginia: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $14.87 billion
Real GDP: $12.87 billion
West Virginia’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry has always been a strong contributor to the state’s overall GDP. In fourth quarter 2021, West Virginia GDP for all industries combined was $72.85 billion, with mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction accounting for 17.7%.
Wisconsin
Biggest industry in Wisconsin: Manufacturing
Nominal GDP: $73 billion
Real GDP: 59.59 billion
Like many other Midwest states, Wisconsin’s largest industry in terms of real GDP is manufacturing. Wisconsin GDP in fourth quarter 2021 was $306.73 billion, with manufacturing accounting for 19.3% of that total economic output.
Wyoming
Biggest industry in Wyoming: Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Nominal GDP: $8.91 billion
Real GDP: $7.59 billion
Wyoming GDP for all industries combined was an estimated $36.98 billion for fourth quarter 2021. That’s actually down by 8.2% from 10 years, when the Wyoming GDP was $40.29 billion in real economic output, in fourth quarter 2011. As for the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry, in fourth quarter 2021, it accounts for 20.5% of Wyoming’s total real GDP. Over the years, Wyoming’s mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry has witnessed a decline in real output: From a real GDP of $12.13 billion in fourth quarter 2011, this industry’s real GDP declined by 37.4%, to $7.59 billion in fourth quarter 2021.
