Which U.S. State Manufactures the Most Plastic? Texas vs. California Explained (2025)

Plastics manufacturing in the United States is a multi-stage industrial system that includes upstream resin production (like polyethylene and polypropylene) and downstream plastic product manufacturing (like packaging, films, bottles, and molded parts). The short answer many people want-which state makes the most plastic-depends on which stage and metric you mean: tonnage of resin, dollar value of products, employment, or exports.

Here’s the bottom line: Texas is the clear leader in plastic resin-thanks to its Gulf Coast petrochemical base-while California typically ranks first in plastic product output and jobs. If you asked, which state manufactures the most plastic, Texas wins on resin volume; California tops finished goods by value and headcount.

TL;DR

• Texas leads U.S. plastic resin production by a wide margin (think ethylene/PE/PP capacity clustered on the Gulf Coast).
• California is usually No. 1 in plastic product manufacturing by value and employment (packaging, films, consumer goods).
• Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are strong in molded parts tied to autos, appliances, and medical devices.
• Use the right metric: resin tonnage vs. product shipments vs. jobs can produce different “winners.”
• Best sources: American Chemistry Council (resin), U.S. Census Bureau ASM (shipments), BLS QCEW (employment).

What the question actually asks: define “most plastic”

“Most plastic” can mean different things. If you mean raw plastic resin-pellets and flakes like polyethylene-Texas is the answer. If you mean finished plastic products-packaging, containers, and molded parts-California usually tops the list by total shipment value and employment.

Texas is a Gulf Coast petrochemical hub with the nation’s largest concentration of ethylene crackers and polyethylene/polypropylene plants, anchored by access to ethane from shale gas, deep-water ports, and pipeline networks.

California is a leading plastics product manufacturing economy with high counts of converters, film and sheet producers, packaging firms, and injection molders, concentrated around Los Angeles and the Bay Area logistics corridors.

The split makes sense: Texas turns hydrocarbons into plastic resins at massive scale; California converts resins into high-value products for consumer, tech, and food markets.

How to measure it: the data playbook

Before we crown a winner, decide on the metric and the dataset. Three sources matter most:

• American Chemistry Council (ACC) publishes resin capacity and production trends for ethylene, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), PVC, and more-ideal for upstream tonnage.
• U.S. Census Bureau produces the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) and Economic Census, giving state-by-state shipments and value added for NAICS 3261 (Plastics Product Manufacturing).
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks employment and wages via QCEW and OEWS; useful for comparing state jobs in NAICS 3261 and related codes.

Two NAICS codes define the split:

• NAICS 3252 (Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial/Synthetic Fibers) - upstream chemical production, where Texas dominates resin.
• NAICS 3261 (Plastics Product Manufacturing) - downstream converters making packaging, bottles, films, and molded parts; California typically ranks first by shipments and employment.

Pick the code and metric first, then choose the benchmark (tonnage, dollar shipments, employment, establishments, or exports). Different choices can flip the leaderboard.

Upstream: resin production is Texas country

Texas is the national powerhouse for resin. Gulf Coast crackers convert ethane and naphtha into ethylene, which is polymerized into polyethylene. Similar chains produce polypropylene and PVC precursors. Why Texas?

• Feedstock advantage: shale-driven ethane is abundant and cheap.
• Infrastructure: pipelines, rail, and the Port of Houston for export.
• Scale: mega-complexes co-locate crackers and polymer units for efficiency.

Ethylene is the base olefin (C2H4) used to make polyethylene, ethylene oxide, and other polymers; U.S. capacity is concentrated on the Gulf Coast. Pair that with Polyethylene (PE) -the most produced plastic resin by volume, including HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE grades used in films, bottles, and pipes. Put them together and you get a simple truth: the bulk of America’s resin tonnage comes from Texas facilities, with Louisiana a strong No. 2.

Industry analyses from ACC and major consultancies consistently place Texas at the top for ethylene and polyethylene capacity-often accounting for a very large share of U.S. nameplate capacity. Add polypropylene and PVC resins, and Texas still sits on top. On export value, Texas also leads: Gulf Coast ports move tens of billions of dollars in plastic resin abroad each year.

If your yardstick is “pounds of plastic resin made,” Texas is the answer to your question.

Downstream: product manufacturing crowns California

Finished goods tell a different story. California is stacked with converters and brand-driven suppliers:

• Flexible packaging and films for food, produce, and e-commerce.
• Injection-molded consumer goods, closures, and cosmetics packaging.
• Electronics and medical device packaging around the Bay Area and SoCal.

On state shipments (ASM) and employment (BLS) for NAICS 3261, California typically ranks first. Texas is in the top tier as well, followed by Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois. The Midwest punches above its weight because auto, appliance, and medical OEMs pull in molded parts locally, lowering logistics costs and cycle times.

So, if your metric is “value of plastic products shipped,” the top state is usually California. On “number of plastics jobs,” California also tends to win, with Ohio and Texas close behind.

Texas vs. California vs. the rest: how they compare

Here’s a practical comparison across the two industry layers-resin vs. products-using relative ranks and typical ranges from ACC (resin), Census ASM (shipments), and BLS (employment). Exact figures shift year to year, but the pattern holds.

Why the split exists

Upstream resin plants want cheap feedstock, power, water, and port access-Texas has all four. Downstream converters want proximity to customers, diverse labor pools, and fast logistics-California, the Midwest, and Texas all fit, depending on the product. This split creates two coexisting truths: Texas makes most of the resin; California makes the most finished plastic products by value and jobs.

Policy also nudges footprints. California’s packaging regulations favor recycled content and waste reduction, attracting converters focused on sustainability and high-spec packaging. Texas, with lower energy costs and industrial zoning, suits energy-intensive resin crackers and mega polymer lines.

Practical guide: pick your metric, then your answer

1. Resin tonnage (PE, PP, PVC)? Answer: Texas, by a wide margin.
2. Plastic product shipments ($, NAICS 3261)? Answer: California typically ranks #1.
3. Employment in plastics products? Answer: California, with Ohio and Texas close.
4. Exports of plastic resin? Answer: Texas, via Gulf Coast ports.

Want to verify for your use case? Pull the latest ACC resin capacity tables for tonnage, and use Census ASM/Economic Census for shipments by state in NAICS 3261. Cross-check with BLS QCEW for employment and USITC trade data for exports.

Sustainability and regulation: who’s pushing what

Policy pressures shape where plastic gets made and converted. California’s extended producer responsibility framework for packaging (SB 54) and recycled content mandates for beverage containers have accelerated demand for PCR (post-consumer resin) films and bottles. That keeps many converters anchored in-state to serve food and consumer brands under tight lead times.

On the resin side, Texas players are piloting and scaling advanced recycling and mass-balance approaches, often co-located with existing crackers. The feedstock flexibility and integration help resin makers blend recycled and virgin streams without major retooling, then push product to export markets through the Gulf.

Related concepts (quick definitions)

Polypropylene (PP) is a versatile thermoplastic used in packaging, automotive parts, and fibers; U.S. production is concentrated along the Gulf Coast, with Texas as a core node.

Port of Houston is a major resin export gateway, handling containerized and bulk shipments of polyethylene and polypropylene.

Plastics Industry Association is a U.S. trade group that compiles state-level plastics economic impact studies, often citing shipments, jobs, and exports.

Use-case snapshots

• Brand packaging manager: You care about converters’ capacity and lead times. California and the Midwest offer dense supplier networks for films, pouches, and rigid containers.
• Resin buyer for a processor: You want supply security and railcar logistics. Texas/Louisiana resin producers give deep, diversified supply with export optionality.
• Job seeker (process tech or mold setter): California and Ohio offer abundant converter roles; Texas offers both converter and chemical-plant roles.
• Site selector: If electricity and feedstock drive the model, Texas wins. If customer proximity and sustainability branding matter more, California or the Midwest may edge it.

How to reproduce the ranking with public data

1. Choose the layer: NAICS 3252 for resins; NAICS 3261 for products.
2. Pick the metric: tonnage (resin), shipments (products), employment, or exports.
3. Collect sources: ACC for resin capacity/production; Census ASM/Economic Census for shipments; BLS QCEW/OEWS for jobs; USITC for trade.
4. Rank states on each metric and annotate method differences (e.g., rubber included/excluded).
5. Publish a two-line summary: “Texas leads resin; California leads products.”

Nuances and pitfalls

• Don’t mix NAICS 326 (plastics and rubber) with 3261 (plastics only) without noting the difference.
• Tonnage vs. dollars: resin is heavy and relatively low-margin; products are lighter with higher value add. Different denominators, different winners.
• Year effects: hurricanes and outages can shift resin output temporarily; product shipments are steadier but respond to retail demand cycles.
• Exports inflate resin states: Gulf Coast states look even bigger once you count outbound resin.
• Recycling data: advanced recycling output is still small relative to virgin resin but growing; verify inclusion/exclusion.

Next steps and troubleshooting

• If you need a one-sentence answer for a slide: Texas makes the most resin; California makes the most plastic products.
• If your CFO wants numbers: pull Census ASM state shipments for NAICS 3261 and ACC resin capacity tables; cite the year explicitly.
• If you’re scouting suppliers: map Tier-1/Tier-2 converters near your DCs; weigh freight vs. unit cost.
• If you’re evaluating policy risk: track California packaging rules and Gulf Coast weather exposure; diversify suppliers across regions.
• If you’re hiring: cross-check BLS location quotients to find talent clusters in molding, extrusion, and thermoforming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas manufacture the most plastic in the U.S.?

Yes-if you mean plastic resin (polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.). Texas hosts the largest cluster of ethylene crackers and polymer plants in the country, and it leads in resin exports through Gulf Coast ports. Industry data from the American Chemistry Council and trade statistics consistently show Texas at the top for resin capacity and production.

Which state leads in plastic product manufacturing by value?

California typically ranks No. 1 for plastics product shipments (NAICS 3261), driven by packaging, films, and consumer goods. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Manufactures and Economic Census show California at or near the top in shipment value and employment in most recent years. Texas, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania also place high depending on the year and subcategory.

Why do resin and product rankings differ so much?

Resin plants need cheap feedstocks, power, and ports-Texas and Louisiana have unmatched advantages there. Product makers need to be close to customers and a diverse workforce-California and the Midwest are ideal. Different cost structures and logistics drivers put the upstream and downstream ends of the plastics chain in different states.

What data should I use to confirm the latest rankings?

For resin tonnage and capacity, use American Chemistry Council resources. For product shipments by state, use U.S. Census Bureau ASM or the Economic Census under NAICS 3261. For employment, use BLS QCEW or OEWS. For exports, pull USITC DataWeb. Always note the year and whether rubber is included or excluded.

Which state has the most plastic manufacturing jobs?

California generally has the most jobs in Plastics Product Manufacturing (NAICS 3261), with Ohio and Texas close behind. These rankings can move slightly with market cycles and plant openings/closures, so check the latest BLS QCEW data for current counts by state.

Where does Louisiana fit into the picture?

Louisiana is a major resin producer and typically ranks second to Texas on the Gulf Coast for ethylene and polyethylene capacity. It does not rank as high in plastics product shipments or employment because its footprint is more heavily weighted toward upstream chemicals rather than downstream converters.

How do recycled plastics and advanced recycling change state rankings?

Advanced recycling projects are growing but still small versus virgin resin. Texas benefits from co-location with existing crackers for scale-up. California’s policies create strong demand for recycled-content packaging, which supports converter activity in-state. Over time, these forces could deepen the existing split: Texas on supply, California on demand-driven conversion.

What about Ohio and Indiana-why do they rank high for products?

They sit inside automotive and appliance supply chains and have dense clusters of injection molders, toolmakers, and thermoformers. Proximity to OEMs cuts lead times and freight. That’s why, despite limited resin production, these states score high on plastics product employment and shipments.

Can hurricanes shift who “makes the most plastic” in a given year?

Temporarily, yes. Storms can reduce Gulf Coast resin output for weeks. But the underlying capacity doesn’t change-Texas and Louisiana remain the top resin states. Finished product rankings are less volatile because converters are more geographically dispersed and can reroute orders.