Maine is the state most closely associated with blueberries. It designated the wild blueberry as its official state berry in 1991, and the fruit is deeply woven into the state’s identity, landscape, and economy. But the full picture is more interesting: when it comes to sheer production volume, Washington and Oregon actually grow more blueberries than Maine does, because they focus on larger cultivated varieties rather than wild ones.
Maine and the Wild Blueberry
Maine’s connection to blueberries is unlike any other state’s. The wild lowbush blueberry grows naturally across the state’s rocky, acidic barrens, spreading through underground runners rather than being planted in rows. These plants thrive in soil with a pH around 4.0, conditions so acidic that most weeds can’t compete. A partnership with fungi on their roots helps them pull nutrients from mineral-poor ground, which is why they flourish in Maine’s thin, glacially scraped soils where other crops struggle.
In 2022, Maine harvested 77.5 million pounds of wild blueberries from roughly 19,700 acres. That number makes Maine the dominant wild blueberry producer in the country. The berries are smaller and more intensely flavored than the plump cultivated varieties you typically find in grocery store clamshells, and research has consistently found that wild lowbush blueberries contain higher levels of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds than their cultivated cousins, regardless of fruit size.
Most of Maine’s wild crop goes to processing: frozen bags, jams, juices, and ingredients for packaged foods. The harvest still follows a two-year cycle where fields are burned or mowed one year and fruited the next, a practice that stretches back generations.
The Top Cultivated Producers
If you’re counting total pounds, the Pacific Northwest leads the country. Washington produced 180 million pounds of cultivated blueberries in 2022, valued at $187 million. Oregon was close behind at roughly 159 million pounds, worth $183 million. Together with Georgia, these three states account for almost two-thirds of all cultivated blueberry production in the United States, which hit a record 789.5 million pounds in 2024 and was valued at $1.15 billion.
Washington is also the dominant force in organic blueberries, producing 46% of the national organic volume at 35.4 million pounds. Oregon’s output has been climbing steadily, rising from 145.5 million pounds in 2021 to 159.5 million in 2022.
Georgia’s Rapid Rise
Georgia is a newer player that has grown remarkably fast. The state’s blueberry farm gate value jumped from $229 million in 2012 to $449 million in 2022, making blueberries more valuable than any other fruit or tree nut crop in the state. That milestone first happened in 2014, when blueberries surpassed Georgia’s long-dominant pecan industry.
Georgia grows three types: rabbiteye (the most common), northern highbush in the cooler mountain regions, and southern highbush, a hybrid bred for lower chill requirements. The state’s warm climate lets growers get fruit to market earlier in the season than northern competitors, which commands premium fresh-market prices.
New Jersey’s Blueberry Heritage
New Jersey holds a special place in blueberry history. The town of Hammonton in Atlantic County has been called the “Blueberry Capital of the World” since at least the mid-twentieth century. Its sandy Pine Barrens soil is naturally suited to the crop, and the area’s farming identity shifted toward blueberries early on. The first Hammonton Blueberry Festival was held in 1953, and the annual Red, White and Blueberry Festival has run since 1987.
Hammonton and the surrounding area produce upward of 50 million pounds of blueberries each year. A single 1,300-acre farm in town is the largest blueberry operation in the Northeast. More than 50 farms in the Hammonton area grow over 80% of New Jersey’s total blueberry crop. Ronald Reagan even highlighted the town’s blueberry fame during a 1984 campaign stop there.
Why Different States Grow Different Blueberries
The distinction between wild and cultivated blueberries matters. Wild lowbush plants in Maine are essentially managed, not planted. They spread on their own across barrens and fields, producing small berries with concentrated flavor. Cultivated highbush varieties, the kind grown in Washington, Oregon, Georgia, and New Jersey, are planted in managed rows, pruned for size, and bred for large, firm fruit that ships well.
About 90% of U.S. blueberries are now cultivated. The wild crop occupies a smaller but culturally significant niche, centered almost entirely in Maine and parts of Atlantic Canada. Each region’s climate and soil dictate which type thrives: Maine’s cold winters, acidic glacial soils, and coastal fog favor wild lowbush plants. The Pacific Northwest offers mild, wet winters and long growing seasons ideal for highbush varieties. Georgia’s warmth supports southern-adapted cultivars that fruit early.
So while Maine is the state most identified with blueberries culturally and historically, Washington grows the most by weight, and Georgia has become the biggest economic success story in the blueberry world over the past decade.