US states where cat-killing coyotes are the most and least common

I think American cat owners might be interested in information which tells them where the cat-killing coyote is the most and least common, state-by-state. On my reading of the situation the coyote is probably the single most prevalent predator of indoor/outdoor domestic cats. A lot of cats are killed by the coyote across the US. Coyotes can’t climb trees like cats but they can climb trees to a decent height and they are very resourceful. Texas has the highest population size of coyotes. There are none in Hawaii.

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According to data from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in 2023 approximately 60-65% of domestic cats in the United States are kept indoors full-time. The exact percentage can vary based on factors like geographic region, but the majority of cats in the US are primarily indoor pets rather than outdoor or indoor/outdoor animals.

That percentage might be a little high because I have seen the figure of around 40% as well but the percentage of full-time indoor cats in the US has soared over recent years and one major reason is that in the US the domestic cat is a prey item for American predator wild animals and of those animals the adaptable survivor, the coyote, is perhaps at the top.

Coyote populations can vary significantly within a state depending on factors like habitat, urbanization, prey availability, hunting/trapping pressure, and management policies. Total coyote population estimates for the U.S. as a whole range from around 500,000 to potentially over 2 million, but these are rough approximations.

Here is a list showing US states by coyote population size as per information from the A-Z Animals website. I can’t vouch for these numbers. I would treat them as guidelines and starting points for further research. See the base of the page for an overview. For example, some of the numbers are very precise, down to the a single individual, which can’t be correct. The best that the authorities can do is to estimate numbers. So, I would question these numbers but that said they are a guide. I have no idea why only 40 states are mentioned! 😒😱

1. Texas has 859,510 according to the A-Z Animals website. How did they count them this accurately? 😊 They didn’t so take this number with a pinch of salf but Texas has by far the largest number according to these statistics.
2. California has a whopping 250,000 coyotes in the state.
3. Coming in at number three, there are 200,000 coyotes in the Grand Canyon State.
4. There are 150,000 coyotes in the state of Kansas.
5. There are 125,000 coyotes located in New Mexico.
6. There are 106,360 coyotes located in Arkansas and are found in every single county.
7. There are 100,000 coyotes located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, found in every county and major city.
8.  90,000 coyotes can be found in the Peach State, Georgia.
9. 86,000 coyotes are located in the Western state of Wyoming, and mainly found in the forested, northwestern parts of the state.
10. 83,695 coyotes located in Oregon.
11. Colorado 78,252 coyotes.
12. Nebraska 77,345 coyotes.
13. South Dakota 70,000 coyotes.
14. 55,000 coyotes located in the western state of Nevada.
15. 52,400 coyotes located in Alabama.
16. Louisiana 52,370 coyotes.
17. Idaho 52,000 coyotes.
18. 51,905 coyotes located in North Carolina.
19. Virginia 50,000.
20. Washington 50,000.
21. Tennessee 38,202.
22. 32,612 coyotes located in Mississippi.
23. 30,000 coyotes located in Illinois.
24. 20,200 coyotes located in the Bluegrass State of Kentucky.
25. New York 20,000.
26. Wisconsin 17,000.
27. Maine 15,000.
28. Minnesota 14,490.
29. Florida 13,000.
30. Iowa 12,000.
31. 12,000 coyotes located in Massachusetts.
32. West Virginia 12,000.
33. New Hampshire 4,500.
34. New Jersey 4,000.
35. Rhode Island 3,462.
36. Connecticut has around 3,000 coyotes.
37. 1,000 coyotes located in the Northeastern state of Vermont.
38. 768 coyotes located in Oklahoma.
39. 50 coyotes located in Delware.
40. 0 coyotes in Hawaii.

RELATED: Can coyotes climb trees to catch cats?

Poe, an AI bot had this to say about coyote numbers on a state-by-state basis:

Coyote populations can fluctuate over time and can be difficult to accurately census across large geographic areas.

However, I can provide some general information about coyote distribution and populations in the United States:

• Coyotes are found in all 48 contiguous U.S. states, with their range expanding over the past several decades. They are absent only from Hawaii.
• Coyote populations are generally highest in the western and central U.S. states. Some of the states with larger coyote populations include Texas, California, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and the Midwest states.
• Coyote numbers tend to be lower in the northeastern states, but they are present in all of those states as well.
• Total coyote population estimates for the U.S. as a whole range from around 500,000 to potentially over 2 million, but these are rough approximations.
• Coyote populations can vary significantly within a state depending on factors like habitat, urbanization, prey availability, hunting/trapping pressure, and management policies.

Without access to more granular, state-level survey data, I cannot provide a definitive list of coyote populations by individual U.S. state. The distribution and abundance of coyotes across the country is an active area of research and monitoring by wildlife agencies.