The 8 States Where the Most Hollywood Movies Are Filmed

Hollywood is a business more than a place. These days the cameras roll wherever the incentives, soundstages and crews line up, and that map keeps changing. Counting shoots and counting dollars can give you different rankings.

The figures below come from production trackers such as ProdPro and FilmLA, along with state announcements. Those sources mostly cover movies and scripted television together, so the numbers describe the wider screen industry, not features alone. Here are the eight states doing the most to keep Hollywood’s cameras busy.

California

California still holds the top spot. ProdPro’s third quarter estimates, reported by The Hollywood Reporter on October 15, put California at about $1.76 billion in film and television production spending. That spending rose 17 percent from a year earlier. Some 80 live action film and TV projects shot in the state during the quarter.

The long view is less comfortable. Of 857 films and scripted series released in 2024, 18.3 percent were shot in Los Angeles, nearly unchanged from the share in 2023. The state is trying to stop the flight of productions. In July 2025 its tax credit cap more than doubled, from $330 million to $750 million. Since then, 147 film and television productions have been approved for incentives.

New York

New York is now the closest challenger. Its production spend surged 87 percent in the third quarter to $1.61 billion. California held its lead by only $147 million. ProdPro’s chief executive called the question of whether New York overtakes it one to watch in the fourth quarter and into 2027.

Executives seem to like the state as well. In ProdPro’s 2026 survey, New York was the top preferred hub among executives, and John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part III was among the productions shooting there. The state also has something California has been losing. Scripted TV shows that run for seasons, often on the same soundstages.

Georgia

Georgia built its reputation on tax incentives that began in 2002 and were strengthened in 2008. It overtook California in 2016 as the state with the most feature films produced. The last few years have been harder. Production spending fell from a record $4.4 billion in 2022 to just $2.3 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Parts of 2026 have looked better. In 2024 Georgia was the closest competitor to Los Angeles, with 9.8 percent of released productions shot there. Its spend jumped 32 percent in the latest quarter, helped by James Gunn’s DC sequel Superman: Man of Tomorrow shooting on location. Earlier in the year, however, Georgia saw notable declines in filming count and spending to start 2026.

New Jersey

New Jersey has climbed fast. The state reported a record $833 million in in state production spend in 2024, from more than 556 productions. Happy Gilmore 2 was the biggest qualified spend in state history, at $152 million. Historically ranked eighth among domestic centers, it is now competing with Georgia for third place behind Los Angeles and New York.

Infrastructure is following the shoots. Netflix’s East Coast hub at Fort Monmouth is scheduled to be built in 2028, and Paramount has a forthcoming base at 1888 Studios in Bayonne. New Jersey also extended its incentive program through 2049. In the first quarter of 2026 it was the exception to a national slowdown, with filming count up 45 percent and spend up 37 percent.

Illinois

Illinois is known for Chicago on screen. It is home to four Dick Wolf procedurals on NBC. FX’s The Bear is also shot there. The state’s numbers have grown steadily.

The governor’s office reported that film production expenditure reached $703 million in 2025, up from $560 million in 2019. Incentives help too. The state program has been extended through December 31, 2038, with the credit for in state labor and vendor spending rising to as much as 35 percent. Illinois did see a dip in one quarter of 2026, alongside Georgia and New Mexico.

Texas

Texas often shows up just behind the leaders. One 2025 mid year report placed California first, followed by Georgia, New York and Texas. The state has leaned on money to keep that position. It approved a boost to its production incentives, allocating $300 million biannually.

The program is a cash grant. Film and television projects must spend at least $250,000 in Texas to qualify. Recent momentum has been uneven. One New Jersey commission report listed Texas among the places with declines or stagnation.

Louisiana

Louisiana’s film business centers on New Orleans, though it has had a rough stretch. Hudson Pacific’s CEO said in March that markets like New Orleans, Atlanta and Albuquerque had fallen as California and New York rose. The state has changed its program instead of dropping it.

Specifically, Louisiana restructured its incentive under Act 44, cutting the annual cap from $150 million to $125 million in July 2025 while removing per project caps and per person wage limits. The base credit remains 25 percent on qualified Louisiana production spending. Producers can add bonuses for using a Louisiana screenplay or shooting outside the New Orleans area.

New Mexico

New Mexico has a reputation that outweighs its size. It is home to Vince Gilligan’s TV universe, including Pluribus, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, as well as Dark Winds. Netflix’s ABQ Studios is based there. The state’s incentive is refundable, which helps smaller productions.

The recent data is mixed. In the third quarter of 2025, shoot count rose 25 percent, yet spend fell by 37 percent to $62 million. The annual cap increased to $130 million for fiscal year 2025 and is scheduled to reach $160 million by 2028. Early 2026 brought notable declines in filming count and spending.

The Current Standings

California leads in spending, with New York close behind and Georgia and New Jersey competing for third. Illinois, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico round out the group, each backed by state incentives. U.S. production spending held at $3.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, and the American share of global production stayed at 38 percent, below the 52 percent recorded in 2022.