Agriculture continues to be a significant economic driver in the US. In 2022, farms and ranches in the US produced more than $500 billion in agricultural products. This was up nearly 40% over the $388.5 billion recorded in 2017.
Every five years, the US Department of Agriculture publishes the Census of Agriculture. It chronicles agricultural revenues and acreages as well as the demographics of producers and the individual products they cultivate. This interactive narrative from Esri maps the data to explore different aspects of agriculture in the US. Below are some of the specific views that we found most interesting.
Acreage Dedicated to Agriculture
Agricultural production occurs across the country, but some places devote far more land to the industry than others. This map shows the total amount of land used for agriculture in each county and the share of all land used for agriculture. From North Dakota to Texas, much of the land is dominated by agriculture. Dozens of counties in this part of the country dedicate more than 90% of their lands to agriculture.
Average Age of Producers
The average age of producers (defined as “a person who is involved in making decisions for the farm operation”) in the US is around 60 years old. In this map, counties in dark purple have an average producer age above 60. Places in white have the lowest average age. The youngest producers on average can be found in the Midwest, where farming operations are more often passed through families. States along the southern edge of the US tend to have, on average, older producers.
Animal Products vs Crops
Crop sales and animal products make up an almost even split of total agricultural sales, with crops accounting for 52% of all revenues. Pie charts in this map show the breakdown between crop sales (beige) and animal products (red), with the size of the circle representing total agriculture sales. While animal products (including livestock, eggs, and milk) are more prevalent in the Southeast and Texas, the Midwest favors crops. In California, which accounts for 11% of all agricultural sales in the US, crops reign supreme.
More to Explore
- Get a top-level summary of the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- Dig into more maps about agriculture.
