Table 1. State Summary Highlights: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Item 
United States 
Alabama 
Alaska 
Arizona 
Arkansas 
California 
Farms 
number 
2,109,303 
43,223 
762 
20,005 
45,071 
77,857 
Land in farms 
acres 
914,527,657 
8,902,654 
833,861 
26,249,195 
13,810,786 
25,569,001 
Average size of farm 
acres 
434 
206 
1,094 
1,312 
306 
328 
Median size of farm 
acres 
80 
75 
33 
5 
97 
20 
Estimated market value of land and buildings: 
Average per farm 
dollars 
1,075,491 
547,524 
681,479 
844,065 
807,965 
2,061,792 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,481 
2,658 
623 
643 
2,637 
6,278 
Estimated market value of all machinery and 
equipment 
$1,000 
243,966,688 
3,077,900 
66,633 
1 ,254,469 
5,202,799 
9,709,545 
Average per farm 
dollars 
115,706 
71,211 
87,445 
63,624 
115,438 
124,720 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
223,634 
2,919 
247 
11,911 
1,918 
24,637 
1 0 to 49 acres 
589,549 
13,267 
181 
4,082 
1 1 ,947 
25,811 
50 to 1 79 acres 
634,047 
16,079 
145 
1,517 
16,631 
13,056 
1 80 to 499 acres 
346,038 
7,238 
103 
882 
8,722 
6,649 
500 to 999 acres 
142,555 
2,230 
37 
513 
2,598 
3,230 
1 ,000 acres or more 
173,480 
1,490 
49 
1,100 
3,255 
4,474 
Total cropland 
farms 
1,551,654 
26,707 
561 
8,144 
29,380 
57,731 
acres 
389,690,414 
2,758,521 
84,114 
1,150,811 
7,931,111 
9,591,783 
Flarvested cropland 
farms 
1 ,288,875 
21,283 
495 
5,587 
25,535 
53,372 
acres 
314,964,600 
2,158,026 
31,315 
890,130 
7,316,469 
8,007,461 
Irrigated land 
farms 
296,303 
1,747 
230 
5,839 
5,084 
53,546 
acres 
55,822,231 
113,008 
2,451 
880,613 
4,803,902 
7,861,964 
Market value of agricultural products sold (see text) .... 
$1,000 
394,644,481 
5,571,173 
58,925 
3,732,113 
9,775,758 
42,627,472 
Average per farm 
dollars 
187,097 
128,894 
77,329 
186,559 
216,897 
547,510 
Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops 
$1,000 
212,397,074 
1,314,971 
24,857 
2,076,568 
4,834,879 
30,366,898 
Livestock, poultry, and their products 
$1,000 
182,247,407 
4,256,202 
34,068 
1 ,655,545 
4,940,880 
12,260,574 
Farms by value of sales: 
Less than $2,500 
788,310 
18,253 
238 
12,616 
15,268 
19,986 
$2,500 to $4,999 
191,422 
4,782 
95 
1,820 
4,497 
5,736 
$5,000 to $9,999 
214,245 
5,591 
107 
1,501 
5,455 
7,718 
$10,000 to $24,999 
244,954 
5,573 
140 
1,503 
6,788 
10,137 
$25,000 to $49,999 
152,873 
2,662 
55 
672 
3,529 
7,043 
$50,000 to $99,999 
129,366 
1,510 
40 
442 
2,028 
6,679 
$100,000 or more 
388,133 
4,852 
87 
1,451 
7,506 
20,558 
Government payments 
farms 
811,387 
12,958 
195 
3,058 
13,140 
7,593 
$1,000 
8,053,346 
88,145 
2,432 
31,329 
262,967 
146,919 
Total income from farm-related sources. 
gross before taxes and expenses (see text) 
farms 
810,955 
12,971 
176 
2,991 
15,139 
23,685 
$1,000 
18,522,606 
143,390 
3,150 
95,875 
206,982 
1 ,204,560 
Total farm production expenses 
$1,000 
328,939,354 
4,736,277 
55,918 
3,258,922 
7,701,266 
35,455,667 
Average per farm 
dollars 
155,947 
109,578 
73,383 
162,905 
170,870 
455,395 
Net cash farm income of operation (see text) 
farms 
2,109,303 
43,223 
762 
20,005 
45,071 
77,857 
$1,000 
92,281,080 
1,066,431 
8,589 
600,395 
2,544,441 
8,523,285 
Average per farm 
dollars 
43,750 
24,673 
11,271 
30,012 
56,454 
109,474 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
number 
1 ,007,904 
19,114 
412 
13,219 
21,315 
42,469 
Other 
number 
1,101,399 
24,109 
350 
6,786 
23,756 
35,388 
Principal operator by days worked off farm: 
Any 
number 
1 ,285,644 
26,448 
440 
10,819 
26,763 
46,546 
200 days or more 
number 
842,600 
17,692 
232 
6,299 
18,857 
27,947 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves inventory 
farms 
913,246 
21,149 
134 
6,029 
25,866 
16,764 
number 
89,994,614 
1,236,467 
10,667 
91 1 ,334 
1,615,774 
5,370,531 
Beef cows 
farms 
727,906 
19,685 
98 
4,851 
23,385 
10,925 
number 
28,956,553 
722,787 
(D) 
197,901 
813,250 
583,594 
Milk cows 
farms 
64,098 
219 
28 
239 
100 
1,931 
number 
9,252,272 
9,116 
(D) 
193,621 
8,972 
1,815,655 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
740,978 
17,620 
71 
3,364 
22,116 
12,594 
number 
69,759,776 
612,863 
1,000 
676,935 
954,433 
3,671,078 
Flogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
63,246 
689 
37 
509 
752 
1,437 
number 
66,026,785 
142,555 
1,009 
(D) 
109,316 
1 1 1 ,893 
Flogs and pigs sold 
farms 
55,882 
379 
42 
354 
540 
1,163 
number 
199,115,305 
446,448 
2,042 
(D) 
1,144,573 
290,488 
Sheep and lambs inventory 
farms 
88,338 
712 
50 
7,447 
778 
4,224 
number 
5,364,844 
21,114 
773 
180,551 
18,808 
668,517 
Layers inventory (see text) 
farms 
198,272 
3,469 
141 
2,456 
3,549 
6,744 
number 
350,715,978 
9,435,605 
8,265 
(D) 
12,545,952 
19,000,779 
Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold 
farms 
32,935 
2,356 
23 
91 
2,109 
421 
number 
8,463,194,794 
1,001,776,907 
2,044 
39,310 
975,950,973 
273,277,272 
Selected crops harvested: 
Corn for grain 
farms 
348,530 
1,983 
- 
80 
1,712 
733 
acres 
87,413,045 
285,328 
- 
29,480 
695,003 
180,672 
bushels 
10,333,410,157 
25,998,347 
- 
5,910,931 
124,688,804 
31,922,610 
Corn for silage or greenchop 
farms 
86,365 
129 
- 
133 
47 
1,895 
acres 
7,196,628 
8,371 
- 
36,620 
4,208 
487,570 
tons 
113,153,064 
103,506 
- 
1,012,718 
29,156 
12,575,973 
Wheat for grain, all 
farms 
147,632 
879 
4 
225 
1,631 
1,503 
acres 
49,040,226 
189,390 
182 
102,581 
448,235 
491,846 
bushels 
2,185,108,114 
10,434,299 
(D) 
9,500,997 
25,253,539 
42,955,324 
Winter wheat for grain 
farms 
126,085 
879 
20 
1,631 
1,020 
acres 
34,723,361 
189,390 
- 
(D) 
448,235 
316,109 
bushels 
1 ,577,093,637 
10,434,299 
- 
329,497 
25,253,539 
26,032,499 
Spring wheat for grain 
farms 
25,794 
- 
4 
4 
- 
179 
acres 
12,177,715 
- 
182 
(D) 
- 
40,197 
bushels 
521,904,259 
- 
(D) 
1 1 ,731 
- 
3,393,174 
-continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
United States 245 
