United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service ISSN: 1995-2004 Farms and Land in Farms 2017 Summary February 2017 Contents 2017 Farms and Land in Farms Highlights........................................................................... 4 Number of Farms by Economic Sales Class - United States: 2016 and 2017 .......................................... 6 Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - United States: 2016 and 2017.......................................... 6 Farms and Land in Farms by Economic Sales Class - United States: 2017............................................. 7 Number of Farms and Average Farm Size - United States: 2010-2017.................................................. 7 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size - United States: 2010-2017.................................. 8 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - United States: 2016-2017.......... 8 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size - States and United States: 2016-2017....................... 9 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $1,000-$9,999 - States and United States: 2016-2017....... 10 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $10,000-$99,999 - States and United States: 2016-2017..... 11 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $100,000-$249,999 - States and United States: 2016-2017... 12 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $250,000-$499,999 - States and United States: 2016-2017... 13 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $500,000-$999,999 - States and United States: 2016-2017... 14 Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size, $1,000,000 or more - States and United States: 2016-2017.. 15 Statistical Methodology.......................................................................................... 16 Terms and Definitions............................................................................................ 17 Farm Definition History.......................................................................................... 18 Information Contacts............................................................................................. 19 2017 Farms and Land in Farms Highlights The number of farms in the United States for 2017 is estimated at 2.05 million, down 12 thousand farms from 2016. Total land in farms, at 910 million acres, decreased 1 million acres from 2016. The average farm size for 2017 is 444 acres, up 2 acres from the previous year. Farm numbers and land in farms are differentiated by six economic sales classes. Farms and ranches are classified into these six sales classes by summing the sales of agricultural products and government program payments. Sales class breaks occur at $10,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. Producers were asked during the 2017 mid-year surveys to report the value of sales based on production during the 2016 calendar year. Point Farms are farms that did not have the required minimum $1,000 in sales for the year to qualify as a farm, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000 or more. Point Farms are assigned a sales class based on the sum of the agricultural point (dollar) values assigned to the quantity of commodities produced but not sold. The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that 428,810 farms or 20.3 percent of the 2.11 million farms were Point Farms. These Point Farms operated 63.0 million acres or 6.9 percent of the 914.5 million acres of farmland. Number of farms declined by 12 thousand from 2016. The number of farms in Sales Classes $100,000 - $249,999 and $1,000,000 or more increased while all other sales classes declined. Fifty percent of all farms had less than $10,000 in sales. Eighty percent of all farms had less than $100,000 in sales. Eight percent of all farms had sales of $500,000 or more. Changes in the number of farms by sales class are: * Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999 at 1.02 million farms, declined by 9 thousand farms. * Sales Class $10,000 - $99,999 at 618 thousand farms, declined by 3 thousand farms. * Sales Class $100,000 - $249,999 at 145 thousand farms, increased by 2 hundred farms. * Sales Class $250,000 - $499,999 at 98 thousand farms, declined by 4 hundred farms. * Sales Class $500,000 - $999,999 at 82 thousand farms, declined by 3 hundred farms. * Sales Class $1,000,000 or more at 83 thousand farms, increased by 4 hundred farms. The percent of all farms by sales class are: * Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999: 49.9% * Sales Class $10,000 - $99,999: 30.2% * Sales Class $100,000 - $249,999: 7.1% * Sales Class $250,000 - $499,999: 4.8% * Sales Class $500,000 - $999,999: 4.0% * Sales Class $1,000,000 or more: 4.0% Land in farms, at 910 million acres, was down 1 million acres from 2016. The biggest change for 2017 is that producers in Sales Class $1,000,000 or more operated 1.3 million more acres than in 2016. Similar to the previous year, in 2017 over 30 percent of all farmland was operated by farms with less than $100,000 in sales. Forty-one percent of all farmland was operated by farms with sales of $500,000 or more. Farmland changes by sales class are: * Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999 at 86.0 million acres, declined by 930 thousand acres. * Sales Class $10,000 - $99,999 at 191.3 million acres, declined by 720 thousand acres. * Sales Class $100,000 - $249,999 at 129.3 million acres, declined by 590 thousand acres. * Sales Class $250,000 - $499,999 at 127.0 million acres, declined by 140 thousand acres. * Sales Class $500,000 - $999,999 at 156.5 million acres, increased by 40 thousand acres. * Sales Class $1,000,000 or more at 220.0 million acres, increased by 1.3 million acres. Percent of all farmland by sales class are: * Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999: 9.5% * Sales Class $10,000 - $99,999: 21.0% * Sales Class $100,000 - $249,999: 14.2% * Sales Class $250,000 - $499,999: 14.0% * Sales Class $500,000 - $999,999: 17.2% * Sales Class $1,000,000 or more: 24.2% The average farm size continued to increase in 2017 as the number of farms declined more than land in farms. The overall average size increased by 2 acres to 444 acres per farm. Average farm sizes increased in the $250,000 - $499,999, $500,000 - $999,999, and $1,000,000 or more sales classes and decreased or remained unchanged in the others. Average farm size by sales class are: * Sales Class $1,000 - $9,999: 84 acres * Sales Class $10,000 - $99,999: 309 acres * Sales Class $100,000 - $249,999: 891 acres * Sales Class $250,000 - $499,999: 1,299 acres * Sales Class $500,000 - $999,999: 1,904 acres * Sales Class $1,000,000 or more: 2,660 acres Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size - United States: 2010-2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Year : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : number 1,000 acres acres : 2010 .................: 2,149,520 915,660 426 2011 .................: 2,131,240 914,420 429 2012 .................: 2,109,810 914,600 433 2013 .................: 2,102,010 914,030 435 2014 .................: 2,085,000 913,000 438 2015 .................: 2,068,000 912,000 441 2016 .................: 2,060,000 911,000 442 2017 .................: 2,048,000 910,000 444 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - United States: 2016-2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent of total : : :-------------------------------------------------------: : Economic sales class : Farms : Land in farms : Average farm size :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent percent percent acres acres : $ 1,000 - $ 9,999 .: 50.1 49.9 9.5 9.5 84 84 $ 10,000 - $ 99,999 .: 30.1 30.2 21.1 21.0 309 309 $100,000 - $249,999 .: 7.0 7.1 14.3 14.2 896 891 $250,000 - $499,999 .: 4.8 4.8 14.0 14.0 1,296 1,299 $500,000 - $999,999 .: 4.0 4.0 17.2 17.2 1,897 1,904 $1,000,000 or more ..: 4.0 4.0 24.0 24.2 2,656 2,660 : Total 1/ ............: 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 442 444 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ May not add due to rounding. Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :------ number ----- -- 1,000 acres -- ---- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 44,000 43,600 8,900 8,900 202 204 Alaska ............: 760 760 830 830 1,092 1,092 Arizona ...........: 19,600 19,600 25,900 25,900 1,321 1,321 Arkansas ..........: 43,000 42,300 13,700 13,600 319 322 California ........: 76,700 77,100 25,400 25,300 331 328 Colorado ..........: 33,800 33,800 31,700 31,800 938 941 Connecticut .......: 6,000 6,000 440 440 73 73 Delaware ..........: 2,500 2,500 500 500 200 200 Florida ...........: 47,100 47,000 9,410 9,450 200 201 Georgia ...........: 41,500 40,900 9,500 9,300 229 227 : Hawaii ............: 7,000 7,000 1,120 1,120 160 160 Idaho .............: 24,300 24,300 11,800 11,900 486 490 Illinois ..........: 72,200 71,000 26,700 26,600 370 375 Indiana ...........: 57,500 56,800 14,700 14,700 256 259 Iowa ..............: 87,000 86,900 30,500 30,500 351 351 Kansas ............: 59,600 59,600 45,900 45,900 770 770 Kentucky ..........: 76,000 75,800 12,900 12,800 170 169 Louisiana .........: 26,900 26,500 7,750 7,700 288 291 Maine .............: 8,200 8,200 1,450 1,450 177 177 Maryland ..........: 12,300 12,200 2,030 2,030 165 166 : Massachusetts .....: 7,800 7,800 520 520 67 67 Michigan ..........: 51,400 50,900 9,950 9,950 194 195 Minnesota .........: 73,300 73,200 25,900 25,900 353 354 Mississippi .......: 36,200 35,800 10,700 10,700 296 299 Missouri ..........: 97,200 97,300 28,500 28,500 293 293 Montana ...........: 27,400 27,100 59,700 59,800 2,179 2,207 Nebraska ..........: 48,400 47,400 45,200 45,200 934 954 Nevada ............: 4,000 4,000 5,960 5,970 1,490 1,493 New Hampshire .....: 4,400 4,400 470 470 107 107 New Jersey ........: 9,100 9,100 720 720 79 79 : New Mexico ........: 24,600 24,700 43,200 43,300 1,756 1,753 New York ..........: 35,500 35,500 7,300 7,200 206 203 North Carolina ....: 48,000 47,800 8,200 8,100 171 169 North Dakota ......: 29,800 29,900 39,100 39,100 1,312 1,308 Ohio ..............: 74,500 73,600 14,000 14,000 188 190 Oklahoma ..........: 78,000 77,200 34,200 34,000 438 440 Oregon ............: 34,400 34,200 16,300 16,300 474 477 Pennsylvania ......: 58,200 58,000 7,630 7,630 131 132 Rhode Island ......: 1,240 1,240 70 70 56 56 South Carolina ....: 24,500 24,300 5,000 5,000 204 206 : South Dakota ......: 31,000 31,000 43,300 43,300 1,397 1,397 Tennessee .........: 66,600 65,900 10,800 10,800 162 164 Texas .............: 241,500 240,000 129,800 129,600 537 540 Utah ..............: 18,100 18,200 11,000 11,000 608 604 Vermont ...........: 7,300 7,300 1,250 1,250 171 171 Virginia ..........: 44,800 44,300 8,100 8,100 181 183 Washington ........: 35,900 35,700 14,700 14,700 409 412 West Virginia .....: 20,600 20,400 3,600 3,600 175 176 Wisconsin .........: 68,700 68,500 14,400 14,300 210 209 Wyoming ...........: 11,600 11,400 30,300 30,200 2,612 2,649 : United States .....:2,060,000 2,048,000 911,000 910,000 442 444 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $1,000-$9,999 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :------ number ----- 1,000 acres --- acres --- : Alabama ...........: 25,700 25,200 2,650 2,700 103 107 Alaska ............: 380 380 270 270 711 711 Arizona ...........: 14,800 14,900 600 600 41 40 Arkansas ..........: 21,500 21,200 1,700 1,700 79 80 California ........: 29,500 30,700 1,300 1,500 44 49 Colorado ..........: 18,300 18,100 2,200 2,100 120 116 Connecticut .......: 4,000 4,000 150 150 38 38 Delaware ..........: 870 870 20 20 23 23 Florida ...........: 27,000 27,000 1,240 1,250 46 46 Georgia ...........: 23,500 23,000 2,400 2,100 102 91 : Hawaii ............: 3,850 3,850 100 100 26 26 Idaho .............: 12,100 12,200 800 800 66 66 Illinois ..........: 28,500 26,200 1,200 1,200 42 46 Indiana ...........: 27,600 26,800 930 920 34 34 Iowa ..............: 26,000 26,100 900 900 35 34 Kansas ............: 21,400 21,400 2,400 2,300 112 107 Kentucky ..........: 41,500 41,800 2,800 2,800 67 67 Louisiana .........: 16,200 15,700 1,180 1,100 73 70 Maine .............: 5,000 5,000 480 480 96 96 Maryland ..........: 6,500 6,500 300 300 46 46 : Massachusetts .....: 5,000 5,000 210 210 42 42 Michigan ..........: 25,500 24,500 1,100 1,100 43 45 Minnesota .........: 26,500 26,700 2,100 2,100 79 79 Mississippi .......: 21,300 21,000 2,600 2,700 122 129 Missouri ..........: 44,500 44,500 3,900 4,300 88 97 Montana ...........: 11,500 11,500 2,700 2,800 235 243 Nebraska ..........: 12,000 11,700 900 900 75 77 Nevada ............: 2,150 2,150 140 160 65 74 New Hampshire .....: 3,100 3,100 240 240 77 77 New Jersey ........: 5,600 5,600 160 160 29 29 : New Mexico ........: 16,100 16,200 4,100 4,100 255 253 New York ..........: 16,900 17,200 1,600 1,550 95 90 North Carolina ....: 26,500 26,900 1,300 1,400 49 52 North Dakota ......: 9,100 9,100 1,600 1,400 176 154 Ohio ..............: 33,200 32,400 1,600 1,550 48 48 Oklahoma ..........: 40,900 39,900 5,000 5,000 122 125 Oregon ............: 20,900 20,800 1,440 1,400 69 67 Pennsylvania ......: 26,300 26,100 1,800 1,790 68 69 Rhode Island ......: 710 710 20 20 28 28 South Carolina ....: 17,000 16,700 1,800 1,800 106 108 : South Dakota ......: 8,600 8,600 1,300 1,300 151 151 Tennessee .........: 42,400 41,300 2,900 2,800 68 68 Texas .............: 150,000 149,000 16,500 15,800 110 106 Utah ..............: 10,700 10,600 700 650 65 61 Vermont ...........: 4,050 4,050 340 340 84 84 Virginia ..........: 25,500 25,100 1,800 1,900 71 76 Washington ........: 21,400 21,200 1,020 1,000 48 47 West Virginia .....: 14,400 14,300 1,600 1,600 111 112 Wisconsin .........: 30,400 30,200 1,950 1,850 64 61 Wyoming ...........: 5,000 5,000 900 800 180 160 : United States .....:1,031,410 1,022,010 86,940 86,010 84 84 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $10,000-$99,999 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- number ---- -- 1,000 acres -- ---- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 13,300 13,400 3,450 3,400 259 254 Alaska ............: 290 290 450 450 1,552 1,552 Arizona ...........: 3,350 3,200 8,000 7,900 2,388 2,469 Arkansas ..........: 13,700 13,300 3,600 3,600 263 271 California ........: 26,200 25,500 4,400 4,200 168 165 Colorado ..........: 10,000 10,200 6,900 7,100 690 696 Connecticut .......: 1,550 1,550 110 110 71 71 Delaware ..........: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Florida ...........: 14,500 14,400 1,850 1,850 128 128 Georgia ...........: 10,500 10,500 2,100 2,300 200 219 : Hawaii ............: 2,600 2,600 260 260 100 100 Idaho .............: 7,000 6,900 2,050 2,050 293 297 Illinois ..........: 18,300 19,000 2,900 2,700 158 142 Indiana ...........: 15,300 15,300 1,900 1,850 124 121 Iowa ..............: 23,800 23,700 3,300 3,300 139 139 Kansas ............: 21,300 21,100 8,300 8,400 390 398 Kentucky ..........: 27,600 27,000 4,700 4,600 170 170 Louisiana .........: 7,300 7,400 1,800 1,850 247 250 Maine .............: 2,400 2,400 400 400 167 167 Maryland ..........: 3,600 3,500 400 400 111 114 : Massachusetts .....: 2,000 2,000 140 140 70 70 Michigan ..........: 14,600 15,100 1,600 1,700 110 113 Minnesota .........: 21,600 21,400 3,600 3,600 167 168 Mississippi .......: 10,000 10,100 2,800 2,700 280 267 Missouri ..........: 38,400 38,300 9,300 8,700 242 227 Montana ...........: 7,900 7,700 8,900 8,800 1,127 1,143 Nebraska ..........: 13,500 13,100 4,700 4,600 348 351 Nevada ............: 830 850 270 280 325 329 New Hampshire .....: 1,050 1,050 150 150 143 143 New Jersey ........: 2,350 2,350 160 160 68 68 : New Mexico ........: 6,200 6,200 11,100 11,000 1,790 1,774 New York ..........: 11,200 10,600 1,600 1,600 143 151 North Carolina ....: 12,800 12,400 1,500 1,500 117 121 North Dakota ......: 7,100 7,100 3,400 3,200 479 451 Ohio ..............: 25,300 25,400 2,650 2,650 105 104 Oklahoma ..........: 28,100 28,500 11,400 11,400 406 400 Oregon ............: 9,000 8,900 2,830 2,900 314 326 Pennsylvania ......: 19,800 19,800 2,280 2,330 115 118 Rhode Island ......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) South Carolina ....: 5,400 5,500 1,300 1,300 241 236 : South Dakota ......: 9,300 9,300 4,900 5,100 527 548 Tennessee .........: 19,500 20,000 3,600 3,700 185 185 Texas .............: 71,000 70,200 41,000 41,000 577 584 Utah ..............: 5,500 5,600 2,000 1,900 364 339 Vermont ...........: 2,100 2,100 320 320 152 152 Virginia ..........: 14,200 14,300 2,800 2,800 197 196 Washington ........: 8,400 8,300 1,900 2,000 226 241 West Virginia .....: 5,400 5,300 1,400 1,400 259 264 Wisconsin .........: 20,900 20,900 2,850 2,850 136 136 Wyoming ...........: 3,800 3,700 4,600 4,700 1,211 1,270 : Other States 1/ ...: 1,010 1,010 60 60 (NA) (NA) : United States .....: 620,830 618,300 191,980 191,260 309 309 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Includes data withheld above. Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $100,000-$249,999 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- number ---- -- 1,000 acres -- ----- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 1,150 1,100 800 750 696 682 Alaska ............: 50 50 70 70 1,400 1,400 Arizona ...........: 570 590 11,300 11,300 19,825 19,153 Arkansas ..........: 1,900 1,800 1,200 1,100 632 611 California ........: 6,300 6,350 3,700 3,600 587 567 Colorado ..........: 2,500 2,550 5,500 5,600 2,200 2,196 Connecticut .......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Delaware ..........: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Florida ...........: 2,250 2,250 920 900 409 400 Georgia ...........: 1,300 1,300 630 610 485 469 : Hawaii ............: 280 280 160 160 571 571 Idaho .............: 1,900 1,900 1,650 1,550 868 816 Illinois ..........: 8,500 8,500 3,100 3,000 365 353 Indiana ...........: 5,300 5,200 1,540 1,480 291 285 Iowa ..............: 10,300 10,600 2,900 3,000 282 283 Kansas ............: 6,400 6,400 6,900 7,000 1,078 1,094 Kentucky ..........: 3,300 3,300 1,200 1,200 364 364 Louisiana .........: 800 800 520 510 650 638 Maine .............: 340 340 100 100 294 294 Maryland ..........: 600 600 230 230 383 383 : Massachusetts .....: 380 380 50 50 132 132 Michigan ..........: 4,200 4,500 1,100 900 262 200 Minnesota .........: 8,600 8,400 2,600 2,400 302 286 Mississippi .......: 1,100 1,000 700 700 636 700 Missouri ..........: 6,400 7,000 3,900 4,300 609 614 Montana ...........: 3,150 3,000 9,800 9,800 3,111 3,267 Nebraska ..........: 7,600 7,500 5,900 6,100 776 813 Nevada ............: 260 260 580 590 2,231 2,269 New Hampshire .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) New Jersey ........: 450 450 80 80 178 178 : New Mexico ........: 1,050 1,030 7,700 7,500 7,333 7,282 New York ..........: 3,600 3,800 950 850 264 224 North Carolina ....: 2,000 2,000 700 600 350 300 North Dakota ......: 3,100 3,100 3,700 3,700 1,194 1,194 Ohio ..............: 7,200 6,800 1,950 1,900 271 279 Oklahoma ..........: 4,450 4,350 5,700 5,600 1,281 1,287 Oregon ............: 1,700 1,700 2,900 2,900 1,706 1,706 Pennsylvania ......: 5,500 5,400 1,040 1,000 189 185 Rhode Island ......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) South Carolina ....: 600 600 270 270 450 450 : South Dakota ......: 4,100 4,100 5,200 5,200 1,268 1,268 Tennessee .........: 2,000 1,900 850 850 425 447 Texas .............: 8,700 9,000 20,500 21,000 2,356 2,333 Utah ..............: 800 850 1,300 1,200 1,625 1,412 Vermont ...........: 490 490 140 140 286 286 Virginia ..........: 2,050 1,950 1,000 950 488 487 Washington ........: 2,200 2,250 1,550 1,400 705 622 West Virginia .....: 350 350 240 240 686 686 Wisconsin .........: 7,300 7,300 1,950 1,900 267 260 Wyoming ...........: 1,300 1,150 5,000 4,900 3,846 4,261 : Other States 1/ ...: 530 530 100 100 (NA) (NA) : United States .....: 144,900 145,050 129,870 129,280 896 891 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Includes data withheld above. Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $250,000-$499,999 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- number ---- -- 1,000 acres -- ----- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 950 950 400 450 421 474 Alaska ............: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Arizona ...........: 240 240 2,600 2,600 10,833 10,833 Arkansas ..........: 1,000 1,000 600 500 600 500 California ........: 4,700 4,500 2,400 2,200 511 489 Colorado ..........: 1,300 1,250 5,800 5,700 4,462 4,560 Connecticut .......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Delaware ..........: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Florida ...........: 1,300 1,200 1,000 1,000 769 833 Georgia ...........: 1,000 1,000 470 490 470 490 : Hawaii ............: 120 120 60 60 500 500 Idaho .............: 1,300 1,300 1,400 1,400 1,077 1,077 Illinois ..........: 7,000 7,000 4,400 4,400 629 629 Indiana ...........: 4,000 4,100 2,100 2,200 525 537 Iowa ..............: 9,700 9,700 4,900 4,900 505 505 Kansas ............: 4,300 4,300 7,500 7,500 1,744 1,744 Kentucky ..........: 1,500 1,500 900 900 600 600 Louisiana .........: 650 650 550 520 846 800 Maine .............: 220 220 110 110 500 500 Maryland ..........: 650 650 250 250 385 385 : Massachusetts .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Michigan ..........: 2,900 2,700 1,200 1,100 414 407 Minnesota .........: 6,200 6,400 3,300 3,400 532 531 Mississippi .......: 800 700 500 450 625 643 Missouri ..........: 3,500 3,300 3,400 3,200 971 970 Montana ...........: 2,450 2,400 12,300 12,200 5,020 5,083 Nebraska ..........: 5,600 5,700 7,700 7,900 1,375 1,386 Nevada ............: 420 400 970 940 2,310 2,350 New Hampshire .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) New Jersey ........: 270 270 90 90 333 333 : New Mexico ........: 500 520 6,300 6,400 12,600 12,308 New York ..........: 1,700 1,800 750 900 441 500 North Carolina ....: 1,600 1,600 700 700 438 438 North Dakota ......: 3,000 3,100 5,300 5,400 1,767 1,742 Ohio ..............: 3,800 4,000 1,900 1,900 500 475 Oklahoma ..........: 2,100 2,050 4,600 4,500 2,190 2,195 Oregon ............: 1,000 950 2,280 2,300 2,280 2,421 Pennsylvania ......: 3,500 3,550 960 940 274 265 Rhode Island ......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) South Carolina ....: 300 300 230 230 767 767 : South Dakota ......: 3,100 3,100 7,000 6,800 2,258 2,194 Tennessee .........: 950 950 700 700 737 737 Texas .............: 4,800 4,600 18,300 18,300 3,813 3,978 Utah ..............: 600 650 1,450 1,650 2,417 2,538 Vermont ...........: 350 350 150 150 429 429 Virginia ..........: 1,200 1,100 700 650 583 591 Washington ........: 1,200 1,250 2,250 2,250 1,875 1,800 West Virginia .....: 150 150 120 120 800 800 Wisconsin .........: 4,800 4,800 2,050 2,150 427 448 Wyoming ...........: 800 800 6,300 6,300 7,875 7,875 : Other States 1/ ...: 560 560 150 150 (NA) (NA) : United States .....: 98,080 97,730 127,090 126,950 1,296 1,299 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Includes data withheld above. Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $500,000-$999,999 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- number ---- -- 1,000 acres -- ----- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 1,500 1,500 550 550 367 367 Alaska ............: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Arizona ...........: 300 310 500 500 1,667 1,613 Arkansas ..........: 1,400 1,400 1,100 1,200 786 857 California ........: 3,250 3,250 2,800 2,800 862 862 Colorado ..........: 800 850 5,400 5,300 6,750 6,235 Connecticut .......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Delaware ..........: 370 370 100 100 270 270 Florida ...........: 820 820 600 650 732 793 Georgia ...........: 2,900 2,900 1,620 1,620 559 559 : Hawaii ............: 70 70 240 240 3,429 3,429 Idaho .............: 800 800 2,000 2,000 2,500 2,500 Illinois ..........: 5,400 5,800 6,100 6,300 1,130 1,086 Indiana ...........: 2,900 2,900 2,930 2,950 1,010 1,017 Iowa ..............: 10,000 9,700 8,900 8,900 890 918 Kansas ............: 3,000 3,100 9,600 9,500 3,200 3,065 Kentucky ..........: 1,000 1,100 1,290 1,300 1,290 1,182 Louisiana .........: 850 850 900 920 1,059 1,082 Maine .............: 110 110 90 90 818 818 Maryland ..........: 400 400 260 260 650 650 : Massachusetts .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Michigan ..........: 2,350 2,350 1,800 1,800 766 766 Minnesota .........: 5,100 5,000 4,900 4,900 961 980 Mississippi .......: 1,100 1,000 1,000 950 909 950 Missouri ..........: 2,400 2,200 4,000 3,900 1,667 1,773 Montana ...........: 1,450 1,500 13,500 13,500 9,310 9,000 Nebraska ..........: 5,000 4,800 9,800 9,800 1,960 2,042 Nevada ............: 180 190 1,100 1,200 6,111 6,316 New Hampshire .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) New Jersey ........: 210 210 80 80 381 381 : New Mexico ........: 370 360 8,300 8,300 22,432 23,056 New York ..........: 1,000 950 650 650 650 684 North Carolina ....: 1,600 1,600 950 950 594 594 North Dakota ......: 4,200 4,200 10,100 10,400 2,405 2,476 Ohio ..............: 2,850 2,950 2,400 2,500 842 847 Oklahoma ..........: 1,400 1,300 3,900 3,900 2,786 3,000 Oregon ............: 800 850 2,650 2,600 3,313 3,059 Pennsylvania ......: 1,850 1,900 750 770 405 405 Rhode Island ......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) South Carolina ....: 400 400 450 450 1,125 1,125 : South Dakota ......: 3,500 3,400 11,500 11,400 3,286 3,353 Tennessee .........: 850 850 900 900 1,059 1,059 Texas .............: 3,700 3,800 15,400 15,000 4,162 3,947 Utah ..............: 240 230 4,550 4,500 18,958 19,565 Vermont ...........: 160 160 90 90 563 563 Virginia ..........: 1,050 1,050 830 830 790 790 Washington ........: 1,050 1,000 2,880 2,850 2,743 2,850 West Virginia .....: 170 170 110 110 647 647 Wisconsin .........: 2,900 2,800 2,050 2,050 707 732 Wyoming ...........: 470 500 6,800 6,900 14,468 13,800 : Other States 1/ ...: 260 260 80 80 (NA) (NA) : United States .....: 82,480 82,210 156,500 156,540 1,897 1,904 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Includes data withheld above. Number of Farms, Land in Farms, and Average Farm Size by Economic Sales Class - States and United States: 2016-2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Economic sales class: $1,000,000 or more :----------------------------------------------------------- : Number of farms : Land in farms : Average farm size State :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 : 2016 : 2017 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- number ---- -- 1,000 acres -- ----- acres ---- : Alabama ...........: 1,400 1,450 1,050 1,050 750 724 Alaska ............: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) Arizona ...........: 340 360 2,900 3,000 8,529 8,333 Arkansas ..........: 3,500 3,600 5,500 5,500 1,571 1,528 California ........: 6,750 6,800 10,800 11,000 1,600 1,618 Colorado ..........: 900 850 5,900 6,000 6,556 7,059 Connecticut .......: 90 90 100 100 1,111 1,111 Delaware ..........: 380 380 270 270 711 711 Florida ...........: 1,230 1,330 3,800 3,800 3,089 2,857 Georgia ...........: 2,300 2,200 2,280 2,180 991 991 : Hawaii ............: 80 80 300 300 3,750 3,750 Idaho .............: 1,200 1,200 3,900 4,100 3,250 3,417 Illinois ..........: 4,500 4,500 9,000 9,000 2,000 2,000 Indiana ...........: 2,400 2,500 5,300 5,300 2,208 2,120 Iowa ..............: 7,200 7,100 9,600 9,500 1,333 1,338 Kansas ............: 3,200 3,300 11,200 11,200 3,500 3,394 Kentucky ..........: 1,100 1,100 2,010 2,000 1,827 1,818 Louisiana .........: 1,100 1,100 2,800 2,800 2,545 2,545 Maine .............: 130 130 270 270 2,077 2,077 Maryland ..........: 550 550 590 590 1,073 1,073 : Massachusetts .....: 80 80 50 50 625 625 Michigan ..........: 1,850 1,750 3,150 3,350 1,703 1,914 Minnesota .........: 5,300 5,300 9,400 9,500 1,774 1,792 Mississippi .......: 1,900 2,000 3,100 3,200 1,632 1,600 Missouri ..........: 2,000 2,000 4,000 4,100 2,000 2,050 Montana ...........: 950 1,000 12,500 12,700 13,158 12,700 Nebraska ..........: 4,700 4,600 16,200 15,900 3,447 3,457 Nevada ............: 160 150 2,900 2,800 18,125 18,667 New Hampshire .....: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) New Jersey ........: 220 220 150 150 682 682 : New Mexico ........: 380 390 5,700 6,000 15,000 15,385 New York ..........: 1,100 1,150 1,750 1,650 1,591 1,435 North Carolina ....: 3,500 3,300 3,050 2,950 871 894 North Dakota ......: 3,300 3,300 15,000 15,000 4,545 4,545 Ohio ..............: 2,150 2,050 3,500 3,500 1,628 1,707 Oklahoma ..........: 1,050 1,100 3,600 3,600 3,429 3,273 Oregon ............: 1,000 1,000 4,200 4,200 4,200 4,200 Pennsylvania ......: 1,250 1,250 800 800 640 640 Rhode Island ......: (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) (D) South Carolina ....: 800 800 950 950 1,188 1,188 : South Dakota ......: 2,400 2,500 13,400 13,500 5,583 5,400 Tennessee .........: 900 900 1,850 1,850 2,056 2,056 Texas .............: 3,300 3,400 18,100 18,500 5,485 5,441 Utah ..............: 260 270 1,000 1,100 3,846 4,074 Vermont ...........: 150 150 210 210 1,400 1,400 Virginia ..........: 800 800 970 970 1,213 1,213 Washington ........: 1,650 1,700 5,100 5,200 3,091 3,059 West Virginia .....: 130 130 130 130 1,000 1,000 Wisconsin .........: 2,400 2,500 3,550 3,500 1,479 1,400 Wyoming ...........: 230 250 6,700 6,600 29,130 26,400 : Other States 1/ ...: 40 40 40 40 (NA) (NA) : United States .....: 82,300 82,700 218,620 219,960 2,656 2,660 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Includes data withheld above. Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: Data are collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) during the June Agricultural Survey using sampling procedures to ensure every farm and ranch has a chance of being selected. NASS uses a multiple sampling frame approach to count farms and measure land in farms. An Area Sampling Frame that divides all land into segments is built for every state except Alaska. A sample of segments is selected in each state except Alaska and Hawaii and enumerated in early June. Highly trained interviewers locate each sampled segment and identify every farm and ranch operating land in the segment and the number of acres in each operation. These data are used to compute summaries of farm numbers and acres of land in farms. Additionally, all farms found in the segments are checked against a list of farms and ranches maintained by NASS to determine if the farm is on the list. Operations found in the Area Frame sample that are not on the list provide a measure of incompleteness of the list. The summarized totals for these non-overlap (or not-on-list) operations are combined with summarized totals collected from a sample selected from the list to calculate additional indications of farms and land in farms. Estimation Procedures: Data are checked for reasonableness and consistency and summarized for each state. State estimates are aggregated to national totals for Headquarters review. Field Offices perform a thorough review of their survey results and historical data relationships and recommend official estimates. Headquarters establishes national estimates and ensures that state estimates are in balance with the national numbers. Revision Policy: Estimates are subject to revision the following year and following review of the five-year Census of Agriculture. The basis for revision must be supported by additional data which directly affect the level of the estimate. Reliability: Two types of errors, sampling and non-sampling, are possible in an estimate based on a sample survey. Both types can affect the quality of the estimates. Sampling error occurs because a complete census is not taken. The sampling error measures the variation in estimates from the average of all possible samples. An estimate of 100 with a sampling error of 1 would mean that chances are 19 out of 20 that the estimates from all possible samples averaged together would be between 98 and 102; which is the survey estimate, plus or minus two times the sampling error. The sampling error expressed as a percent of the estimate is called the relative sampling error. In 2017, the relative sampling error for the United States number of farms was 1.7 percent and land in farms was 3.6 percent. Relative sampling errors by economic sales class ranged from 2.0 to 8.1 percent for number of farms and 3.2 to 13.3 percent for land in farms at the United States level. Non-sampling errors can occur in complete censuses as well as sample surveys. They are caused by the inability to obtain correct information from each person surveyed, differences in interpreting questions or definitions, and mistakes in coding or processing the data. Special efforts are taken at each step of the survey to minimize non-sampling errors. Terms and Definitions A farm is "any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the year." Government payments are included in sales. Ranches, institutional farms, experimental and research farms, and Indian Reservations are included as farms. Places with the entire acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), and other government conservation programs are counted as farms. The definition of a farm was first established in 1850 and has changed nine times since. The current definition was first used for the 1974 Census. Land in farms consists of agricultural land used for crops, pasture, or grazing. Also included is woodland and wasteland not actually under cultivation or used for pasture or grazing, provided it was part of the farm operator's total operation. Land in farms includes acres in CRP, WRP, and other government conservation programs. Land in farms includes land owned and operated as well as land rented from others. Land used rent-free is included as land rented from others. All grazing land, except land used under government permits on a per-head basis, is included as land in farms provided it was part of a farm or ranch. Land under the exclusive use of a grazing association is reported by the grazing association and included as land in farms. All land in American Indian reservations used for growing crops or grazing livestock is included as land in farms. Land in reservations not reported by individual American Indians or non-Native Americans is reported in the name of the cooperative group that used the land. In many instances, the entire American Indian reservation is reported as one farm. Economic sales classes are based on the gross value of agricultural products sold. Government program payments are also included. Point Farms are places that did not have $1,000 of reported sales for the year, but had sufficient crops and livestock to normally have sales of $1,000 or more. Farm Definition History The definition of a farm has remained the same since 1974. Activities included as agriculture, however, have undergone modification in recent years. Beginning in 1995, operations having 5 or more horses or ponies and no other agricultural sales were counted as horse farms. An operation with 1 or more horses with agricultural sales of at least $1,000, qualified as a farm. Two industries, maple syrup and short rotation woody crop farms, were added beginning in 1997 as a result of the new North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). These changes were made to achieve comparability with the Census of Agriculture farm definition. All the changes in the farm definition beginning in 1995 were carried back to 1993 and included in the 1993-1998 estimates. These changes bring comparability between the Census of Agriculture data and the annually published NASS estimates. Because of these changes in the farm definition, the official estimates show a level difference in the number of farms between 1992 and 1993 in some states. To further align the counting of farms with the Census of Agriculture, places with 100 acres or more of pasture only in 2002 were included in farm and land in farm numbers. The handling of Indian reservation land was changed in 2002 to provide some accounting for individual farms. Minimum Criteria for "FARM" Definition, 1840 - Present and Enumeration of Apiaries and Fur Farms Year Acres in Value of Value of Sales Required Apiaries Place Agricultural of some and Fur Farms Products Agricultural Agricultural Enumerated (Produced) Products Operations 1974 - Present - - - - $1,000 or more - - - - 1959 Less than 10 - - $250 or more - - - - 10 or more - - $50 or more - - - - 1954 Less than 3 - - $150 or more - - - - 3 or more $150 or more - - - - - - 1950 Less than 3 - - $150 or more - - Apiaries 3 or more $150 or more - - - - Fur Farms 1935 - 1945 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries 3 or more - - - - X Fur Farms 1930 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries 3 or more - - - - X - - 1925 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - - - 3 or more - - - - X - - 1910 - 1925 Less than 3 $250 or more - - - - Apiaries 3 or more - - - - X - - 1900 Less than 3 - - - - - - Apiaries 3 or more - - - - X - - 1870 - 1890 Less than 3 - - $500 or more - - Apiaries 3 or more - - - - X - - 1860 - - - - - - - - - - 1850 - - $100 or more - - - - Apiaries 1840 - - - - - - - - - - Historic Estimates: Final estimates of Farms and Land in Farms in earlier years are available in Statistical Bulletins, No.1030 for 2008-2012, No. 1018 for 2003-2007, No. 991 for 1998-2002, No. 955 for 1993-97, No. 895 for 1988- 92, No. 792 for 1979-87, SpSy3 for 1975-80, No. 594 for 1969-75, No. 507 for 1959-70, No. 316 for number of farm estimates for 1910-59 and land in farms estimates for 1950-59. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Environmental, Economics and Demographics Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. Email inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov. Jody McDaniel, Chief, Environmental, Economics and Demographics Branch....... (202) 720-6146 Tony Dorn, Head, Economics Section........................................... (202) 690-3223 Rachel Antzak - Cash Receipts, Land Values................................ (202) 720-5446 Daryl Brinkman - Prices Received, Prices Received Indexes, Parity Prices.. (202) 720-8844 Kuan Chen - Prices, Prices Research....................................... (202) 690-3347 Ryan Cowen - Farms, Land in Farms, Cash Rents, Grazing Fees............... (202) 720-2250 Liana Cuffman - Prices Paid, Prices Paid Indexes.......................... (202) 690-3229 Stephen Habets - Farm Expenditures........................................ (202) 720-9168 Ben Johnson - Database and Application Development........................ (202) 690-3225 Michael Mathison - Farm Expenditures...................................... (202) 720-3243 Theresa Varner - Farm Labor............................................... (202) 690-3231 Scott Shimmin, Head, Environmental and Demographics Section.................. (202) 720-0684 Stephanie Brennan - Field Crops Chemical Use, Census of Agriculture ...... (202) 690-0392 Natasha Bruton - Current Agricultural Industrial Reports.................. (202) 720-7644 David Colwell - Current Agricultural Industrial Reports................... (202) 690-3226 Doug Farmer - Vegetable Chemical Use...................................... (202) 720-7492 Joe Hagedorn - Census of Agriculture...................................... (202) 690-2284 Virginia Harris - Census of Agriculture................................... (502) 582-5257 Dominique Sims - Census of Agriculture.................................... (202) 720-5581 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit www.nass.usda.gov and click on "National" or "State" in upper right corner above "search" box to create an account and select the reports you would like to receive. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.