Louisiana Ranks 25th in the U.S. in Manufacturing & More LNG News

By: jsl_dev_admin | December 12, 2025

According to Census Bureau data, Louisiana ranks 25th in the country for most manufacturing jobs by population size, and the state was the top U.S. state for manufacturing revenue per capita in 2022. Florida, the nation’s third most populous state, ranked in the bottom five for output. This is according to a Census Bureau data visualization that shows how smaller states often outperform large states like California, Texas and Florida, which typically rank at the top of business lists because of the size of their populations.

The analysis is part of a series of data the bureau is highlighting to mark Manufacturing Week, which recognizes a key driver of the U.S. economy. The ranking is based on the value of shipments in each state divided by its number of residents. None of the top five states for manufacturing output were among the most populous states, the data showed.

The top five states ranked by the value of shipments per capita were Louisiana at $59,217, Indiana at $49,000, Iowa at $47,000, Nebraska at $38,000 and Kentucky at $37,000. Louisiana’s strong performance was fueled by its petroleum and coal products manufacturing sector. Indiana, which ranks 17th in population, and Kentucky, which ranked 26th in population, were both driven by their transportation equipment manufacturing sectors. Iowa, which ranks 31st in population, and Nebraska, which ranks 37th, benefited from their food manufacturing output.

The biggest reason for Louisiana’s healthy construction and manufacturing marketplace is, of course, the volume of LNG we are now producing and shipping from the Lake Charles area.

According to a recent American Press article, U.S. LNG exports hit a record high in September at 9.4 million metric tons, up from a previous record 9.3 million metric tons in August, according to preliminary data from financial firm LSEG. The United States was the world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter in 2024, with Louisiana accounting for about 61% of total LNG shipments. Texas, the second biggest exporter, was the source of about 31% of the U.S. LNG shipped overseas in 2024. Weekly data compiled by Bloomberg shows 81 LNG tankers departed Louisiana export terminals between Sept. 3 and October 1, representing 67% of total U.S. shipments during the four-week period 

The U.S. is set to become the largest LNG exporter in the world, producing more than a third of global LNG supply by 2030, according to J.P. Morgan Research estimates. “The country has gone from effectively producing zero LNG in 2015 to 86 million tons in 2023, with more projects in various stages of construction underway,” said Tarek Hamid, head of North American Corporate Credit Research at J.P. Morgan.

The natural gas boom in the U.S. is in part due to low construction costs and a skilled labor pool — factors conducive to the buildout of new LNG facilities. “Another benefit is the safety, surety and security of U.S. LNG molecules versus other molecules that are located in or forced to traverse transportation bottlenecks in the Middle East,” Hamid said.

Rapid economic expansion in countries like China, India, and Southeast Asia is a major driver for increased LNG demand, while Europe is increasingly buying U.S.-made LNG to offset supply loss from other major producers.