The Census of Agriculture is the most comprehensive source of data portraying our nation’s agriculture over time. The census is conducted every five years by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). On April 11, 2019, NASS released the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
Census of Agriculture
| 2002 | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farms | 2,128,982 | 2,204,792 | 2,109,303 | 2,042,220 |
| Land in farms (acres) | 938,279,056 | 922,095,840 | 914,527,657 | 900,217,576 |
| Total land area (acres) | 2,263,960,501 | 2,260,994,361 | 2,260,583,852 | 2,260,681,965 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers* | 2,128,982 | 2,204,792 | 2,109,303 | 2,042,220 |
| Total operators / All producers* | 3,115,172 | 3,337,450 | 3,180,074 | 3,399,834 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 123,059 | 118,613 | 119,833 | 121,754 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 557,830 | 655,654 | 701,276 | 780,672 |
| Land owned by principal operators 65 and older (acres) | 200,722,873 | 232,257,320 | 239,753,356 | |
| Principal operators / Primary producers with less than 10 years on present farm | 593,109 | 583,286 | 469,098 | 510,536 |
| All producers / primary producers with 10 years or less on any farm | 908,274 / 472,360 | |||
| Market value of agricultural products sold ($1,000) | 200,646,355 | 297,220,491 | 394,646,980 | 388,522,695 |
| *Reflects new terms in 2017 Census of Agriculture |
For more information
- FIC 2017 Census of Agriculture Fact Sheet
- Download: Table of Land in Farms by State
- Infographic: All Producers by Age
- Infographic: All New and Beginning Producers by Age
- FIC Highlights: 2017 Census of Agriculture
- Census of Agriculture Website