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 
36,588 
25,266 
9,764 
1,558 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
25,996 
21,257 
3,783 
956 
Spouse of principal operator 
1,368 
(X) 
1,355 
13 
Female 
10,592 
4,009 
5,981 
602 
Spouse of principal operator 
5,377 
(X) 
5,269 
108 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
14,093 
10,361 
3,192 
540 
Other 
22,495 
14,905 
6,572 
1,018 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
27,604 
19,430 
7,421 
753 
Not on farm operated 
8,984 
5,836 
2,343 
805 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
13,224 
9,395 
3,287 
542 
Any 
23,364 
15,871 
6,477 
1,016 
1 to 49 days 
2,925 
1,971 
822 
132 
50 to 99 days 
1,657 
1,055 
507 
95 
100 to 199 days 
3,185 
2,126 
962 
97 
200 days or more 
15,597 
10,719 
4,186 
692 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
1,761 
988 
577 
196 
3 or 4 years 
2,125 
1,145 
766 
214 
5 to 9 years 
5,946 
3,475 
2,076 
395 
10 years or more 
26,756 
19,658 
6,345 
753 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
1,398 
741 
474 
183 
3 or 4 years 
1,724 
910 
636 
178 
5 to 9 years 
5,193 
2,997 
1,835 
361 
10 years or more 
28,273 
20,618 
6,819 
836 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
486 
84 
178 
224 
25 to 34 years 
1,964 
1,013 
742 
209 
35 to 44 years 
4,126 
2,350 
1,512 
264 
45 to 54 years 
7,825 
5,097 
2,444 
284 
55 to 64 years 
10,658 
7,628 
2,720 
310 
65 to 74 years 
7,748 
5,880 
1,719 
149 
75 years and over 
3,781 
3,214 
449 
118 
Average age 
57.4 
59.5 
53.6 
46.9 
Number of persons living in household 
73,538 
61,757 
9,090 
2,691 
1 Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
42 South Carolina 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
