Table 1. Historical Highlights: 2012 and Earlier Census Years 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
All farms 
2012 
2007 
2002 
1997 
Not adjusted for coverage 
1997 
1992 
1987 
1982 
Farms 
... number 
42,257 
47,846 
49,311 
49,343 
40,334 
40,759 
43,552 
49,630 
Land in farms 
acres 
9,620,836 
10,150,539 
10,744,239 
11,262,838 
10,671,246 
10,025,581 
10,744,718 
12,291,885 
Average size of farm 
acres 
228 
212 
218 
228 
265 
246 
247 
248 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
702,282 
661,201 
457,427 
362,690 
392,577 
280,562 
226,217 
225,092 
Average per acre 
dollars 
3,085 
3,117 
2,112 
1,550 
1,505 
1,131 
920 
929 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment 1 
....$1,000 
3,935,960 
3,681,670 
2,416,555 
2,073,886 
1,791,247 
1,421,195 
1,409,250 
1,535,877 
Average per farm 
dollars 
93,146 
76,948 
51,847 
42,061 
44,392 
34,904 
32,477 
31,013 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
3,025 
3,504 
3,569 
3,442 
2,399 
2,859 
2,875 
3,189 
1 0 to 49 acres 
13,834 
16,243 
15,759 
14,169 
10,255 
10,443 
10,953 
12,179 
50 to 1 79 acres 
14,671 
16,244 
17,160 
18,126 
14,677 
14,470 
15,602 
18,112 
180 to 499 acres 
6,334 
7,432 
7,962 
8,518 
7,910 
7,987 
8,868 
10,197 
500 to 999 acres 
2,284 
2,470 
2,735 
2,791 
2,795 
2,972 
3,197 
3,657 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,375 
1,253 
1,394 
1,526 
1,543 
1,407 
1,453 
1,633 
2,000 acres or more 
734 
700 
732 
771 
755 
621 
604 
663 
Total cropland 
farms 
28,360 
31,924 
34,660 
37,503 
32,816 
34,600 
37,689 
43,390 
acres 
4,190,918 
4,478,168 
4,676,567 
5,572,570 
5,370,844 
5,475,712 
5,780,330 
6,531,234 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
22,347 
23,179 
24,424 
27,810 
25,082 
27,177 
30,301 
35,650 
acres 
3,609,788 
3,390,437 
3,245,784 
3,894,737 
3,762,559 
3,332,666 
3,298,268 
4,761,260 
Irrigated land 
farms 
5,230 
5,716 
5,369 
4,752 
4,372 
4,701 
4,985 
4,443 
acres 
1,125,355 
1,017,773 
870,810 
773,066 
748,520 
724,792 
640,256 
575,306 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
9,255,125 
7,112,866 
4,911,752 
5,182,676 
4,992,918 
3,521,217 
2,814,592 
2,767,679 
Average per farm 
dollars 
219,020 
148,662 
99,608 
105,034 
123,789 
86,391 
64,626 
55,766 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
3,670,455 
2,142,270 
1,579,596 
1,995,404 
1,920,598 
1,428,964 
1,005,664 
1,180,988 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
5,584,670 
4,970,596 
3,332,156 
3,187,272 
3,072,320 
2,092,253 
1,808,928 
1,586,691 
Farms by value of sales 2 : 
Less than $2,500 
18,372 
23,391 
23,986 
19,552 
13,731 
12,070 
13,176 
15,693 
$2,500 to $4,999 
3,951 
4,450 
5,046 
6,758 
5,503 
5,983 
6,460 
6,740 
$5,000 to $9,999 
4,139 
4,527 
5,131 
6,053 
5,154 
5,402 
5,805 
5,843 
$10,000 to $24,999 
4,704 
4,906 
4,878 
5,052 
4,694 
5,200 
5,320 
5,868 
$25,000 to $49,999 
2,232 
2,308 
2,406 
2,369 
2,174 
2,659 
3,012 
3,788 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,552 
1,491 
1,592 
2,088 
1,908 
2,397 
2,883 
3,947 
$100,000 to $499,999 
2,144 
3,414 
3,801 
4,693 
4,472 
5,354 
5,961 
7,002 
$500,000 or more 
5,163 
3,359 
2,471 
2,778 
2,698 
1,694 
935 
717 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
36,863 
41,703 
45,050 
43,523 
35,206 
35,985 
38,806 
44,207 
Partnership 
2,535 
3,850 
2,490 
3,560 
3,105 
3,173 
3,382 
4,170 
Corporation 
2,410 
1,909 
1,484 
1,891 
1,706 
1,297 
1,106 
954 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
449 
384 
287 
369 
317 
304 
258 
299 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 3 : 
None 
17,798 
17,549 
22,903 
17,604 
15,060 
15,563 
15,835 
17,088 
Any 
24,459 
30,297 
26,408 
27,837 
21,902 
21,843 
25,029 
27,730 
200 days or more 
16,199 
19,087 
19,606 
21,016 
16,295 
16,051 
18,426 
20,149 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
19,858 
20,106 
25,076 
19,860 
17,523 
18,817 
19,449 
23,075 
Other 
22,399 
27,740 
24,235 
29,483 
22,811 
21,942 
24,103 
26,555 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
59.9 
57.8 
56.5 
55.6 
55.9 
55.0 
53.2 
51.7 
Total farm production 
expenses 1 
....$1,000 
7,488,510 
5,982,253 
3,845,512 
4,321,340 
3,840,117 
2,867,358 
2,338,551 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ': 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
927,465 
871,341 
372,108 
434,150 
396,933 
317,816 
307,677 
251,478 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
2,913,851 
2,121,379 
1,365,162 
1,630,861 
1,427,778 
909,360 
755,609 
660,526 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased 4 5 
....$1,000 
499,665 
353,104 
190,338 
244,907 
219,398 
191,665 
156,412 
199,916 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
346,738 
301,942 
149,582 
154,820 
136,653 
125,189 
102,026 
157,335 
Hired farm labor 
....$1,000 
447,136 
361,419 
326,621 
315,101 
285,883 
252,721 
209,647 
149,524 
Interest expense 6 
....$1,000 
228,123 
225,086 
193,171 
193,283 
170,943 
147,611 
130,645 
193,325 
Chemicals purchased 4 
....$1,000 
398,050 
250,881 
197,468 
223,875 
196,778 
148,906 
108,992 
111,558 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
17,188 
20,647 
24,554 
26,938 
21,874 
23,339 
25,349 
30,440 
number 
1,033,717 
1,117,087 
1,272,291 
1,289,428 
1,244,489 
1,258,062 
1,266,679 
1,578,250 
Beef cows 
farms 
15,175 
17,721 
21,576 
23,047 
19,180 
20,549 
21,952 
25,658 
number 
469,942 
554,099 
629,127 
624,891 
613,731 
599,899 
606,750 
690,184 
Milk cows 
farms 
348 
639 
841 
1,188 
984 
1,168 
1,475 
2,623 
number 
79,492 
77,193 
85,075 
100,306 
98,931 
102,001 
97,763 
130,542 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
13,982 
16,261 
18,770 
24,782 
21,015 
22,162 
24,604 
28,180 
number 
537,089 
595,273 
565,767 
642,462 
613,950 
612,588 
681,238 
729,924 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
866 
1,111 
1,148 
2,280 
1,764 
3,844 
5,805 
8,911 
number 
153,733 
263,471 
347,816 
539,913 
514,029 
1,000,813 
1,060,377 
1,317,396 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
600 
830 
995 
1,909 
1,561 
3,745 
5,634 
8,374 
number 
696,608 
942,400 
1,179,137 
1,075,860 
1,030,187 
1,865,702 
1,869,236 
2,119,068 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Georgia 7 
