Mapped: Crushed Stone, Sand, and Gravel Production in the U.S.

Crushed stone, sand, gravel, and other construction aggregates account for half of the industrial minerals produced in the United States.

These materials represent a $29 billion per year business in the country.

The map above from our sponsor Burgex uses data from Mineralocity to show where aggregates are produced in America.

What Are Aggregate Minerals?

Aggregates are a variety of materials produced in pits or quarries, including sands, gravel, and crushed stone.

They are usually used in construction, with the largest proportion used to manufacture concrete.

• Sand: The world’s most consumed raw material after water and the primary substance used in construction.
• Gravel: It occurs naturally but it is also produced. Almost half of all gravel production is used as an aggregate for concrete.
• Crushed Stone: Used mostly as an aggregate for road construction and maintenance. It is the leading nonfuel mineral commodity (by value of production) in America.

On average, each person in America drives demand for over 10,000 lbs of stone and around 7,000 lbs of sand and gravel per year.

Aggregate Production by State

Ten states produce more than 50% of the country’s construction aggregates.

The five leading States are, in descending order of total output: Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Over 7,000 U.S. commercial aggregate companies are currently operating.

Growing urban areas across the U.S. and the rise in high-rise structures, which use concrete extensively, are expected to continue boosting demand for aggregates.

Additionally, maintenance of aging infrastructure across the country is expected to support the demand. In 2011, a study by the United States Geological Survey concluded that one-third of America’s major roads were in poor or mediocre condition, and over one-quarter of the bridges were either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

In this scenario, the aggregates market in the U.S. is expected to grow by 263.53 million tons from 2021 to 2026, at an annual average growth rate of over 2.5%.

Mineralocity utilizes the latest in population trends, pricing, and construction projects to determine the very best locations for quarry development and construction aggregate product distribution. Click here to learn more about Mineralocity Aggregates.

Visualizing U.S. Consumption of Fuel and Materials per Capita

Wealthy countries consume massive amounts of natural resources per capita, and Americans are no exception.

According to data from the National Mining Association, each American needs more than 39,000 pounds (17,700 kg) of minerals and fossil fuels annually to maintain their standard of living.

Materials We Need to Build

Every building around us and every sidewalk we walk on is made of sand, steel, and cement.

As a result, these materials lead consumption per capita in the United States. On average, each person in America drives the demand of over 10,000 lbs of stone and around 7,000 lbs of sand and gravel per year.

The construction industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy.

Crushed stone, sand, gravel, and other construction aggregates represent half of the industrial minerals produced in the country, resulting in $29 billion in revenue per year.

Also on the list are crucial hard metals such as copper, aluminum, iron ore, and of course many rarer metals used in smaller quantities each year. These rarer metals can make a big economic difference even when their uses are more concentrated and isolated—for example, palladium (primarily used in catalytic converters) costs $54 million per tonne.

Fuels Powering our Lives

Despite ongoing efforts to fight climate change and reduce carbon emissions, each person in the U.S. uses over 19,000 lbs of fossil fuels per year.

Gasoline is the most consumed petroleum product in the United States.

In 2021, finished motor gasoline consumption averaged about 369 million gallons per day, equal to about 44% of total U.S. petroleum use. Distillate fuel oil (20%), hydrocarbon gas liquids (17%), and jet fuel (7%) were the next most important uses.

Reliance on Other Countries

Over the past three decades, the United States has become reliant on foreign sources to meet domestic demand for minerals and fossil fuels. Today, the country is 100% import-reliant for 17 mineral commodities and at least 50% for 30 others.

In order to reduce the dependency on other countries, namely China, the Biden administration has been working to diversify supply chains in critical minerals. This includes strengthening alliances with other countries such as Australia, India, and Japan.

However, questions still remain about how soon these policies can make an impact, and the degree to which they can ultimately help localize and diversify supply chains.