Table 55. Selected Operator Characteristics for Principal, Second, and Third Operator: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Characteristics 
All operators 1 
Principal operator 
Second operator 
Third operator 
Operators number 
44,249 
28,008 
13,979 
2,262 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
29,184 
23,765 
4,137 
1,282 
Spouse of principal operator 
1,219 
(X) 
1,196 
23 
Female 
15,065 
4,243 
9,842 
980 
Spouse of principal operator 
9,195 
(X) 
8,890 
305 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
22,769 
15,434 
6,106 
1,229 
Other 
21,480 
12,574 
7,873 
1,033 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
35,035 
22,057 
11,436 
1,542 
Not on farm operated 
9,214 
5,951 
2,543 
720 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
18,418 
12,116 
5,329 
973 
Any 
25,831 
15,892 
8,650 
1,289 
1 to 49 days 
4,415 
2,688 
1,486 
241 
50 to 99 days 
2,104 
1,232 
752 
120 
100 to 199 days 
3,968 
2,383 
1,359 
226 
200 days or more 
15,344 
9,589 
5,053 
702 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
1,755 
962 
588 
205 
3 or 4 years 
2,247 
1,195 
831 
221 
5 to 9 years 
6,519 
3,851 
2,324 
344 
10 years or more 
33,728 
22,000 
10,236 
1,492 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
1,308 
690 
447 
171 
3 or 4 years 
1,724 
882 
654 
188 
5 to 9 years 
5,468 
3,141 
1,989 
338 
10 years or more 
35,749 
23,295 
10,889 
1,565 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
504 
123 
195 
186 
25 to 34 years 
2,592 
1,264 
954 
374 
35 to 44 years 
4,837 
2,690 
1,826 
321 
45 to 54 years 
9,902 
5,867 
3,567 
468 
55 to 64 years 
13,682 
8,746 
4,435 
501 
65 to 74 years 
8,314 
5,825 
2,263 
226 
75 years and over 
4,418 
3,493 
739 
186 
Average age 
57.0 
58.9 
54.4 
49.1 
Number of persons living in household 
84,215 
68,921 
11,305 
3,989 
Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
40 Montana 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
