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 
38,076 
41,959 
42,186 
42,150 
31,318 
31,998 
34,074 
42,415 
Land in farms 
acres 
10,931,080 
11,456,241 
11,097,543 
1 1 ,436,287 
10,124,822 
10,188,362 
10,746,190 
12,421,651 
Average size of farm 
acres 
287 
273 
263 
271 
323 
318 
315 
293 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
652,593 
510,454 
370,689 
299,460 
337,081 
248,479 
215,209 
257,819 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,273 
1,870 
1,381 
1,075 
1,052 
777 
697 
894 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment ' 
....$1,000 
3,499,554 
3,086,429 
2,090,779 
1,947,525 
1,621,991 
1,294,742 
1,187,399 
1,485,514 
Average per farm 
dollars 
91,917 
73,558 
51,839 
46,228 
51,801 
40,616 
34,900 
35,083 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
1,697 
2,056 
1,807 
2,035 
1,108 
1,122 
1,387 
1,627 
1 0 to 49 acres 
9,017 
10,234 
10,834 
9,595 
5,863 
5,796 
6,240 
8,674 
50 to 1 79 acres 
14,871 
16,519 
1 7,296 
16,891 
12,443 
12,797 
13,506 
1 7,342 
1 80 to 499 acres 
8,002 
8,623 
8,052 
8,757 
7,356 
7,606 
7,789 
9,031 
500 to 999 acres 
2,323 
2,283 
2,105 
2,612 
2,415 
2,524 
2,884 
3,100 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,237 
1,243 
1,124 
1,361 
1,284 
1,365 
1,445 
1,739 
2,000 acres or more 
929 
1,001 
968 
899 
849 
788 
823 
902 
Total cropland 
farms 
23,905 
27,349 
29,021 
31,273 
25,289 
27,625 
29,785 
37,476 
acres 
5,075,579 
5,530,825 
5,822,786 
6,324,156 
5,947,311 
6,518,288 
6,747,639 
7,745,113 
Flarvested cropland 
farms 
1 7,595 
18,773 
19,405 
22,646 
19,198 
22,245 
24,305 
31,122 
acres 
4,292,113 
4,223,708 
4,139,341 
4,519,775 
4,338,710 
4,404,612 
4,272,651 
5,799,772 
Irrigated land 
farms 
2,454 
2,284 
2,235 
1,912 
1,769 
2,127 
2,012 
1,462 
acres 
1,651,978 
1,368,661 
1,175,530 
1,110,145 
1,076,231 
882,976 
636,842 
430,901 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
6,441,025 
4,876,781 
3,116,295 
3,485,867 
3,127,383 
2,336,737 
1,862,903 
1,918,486 
Average per farm 
dollars 
169,162 
116,227 
73,870 
82,701 
99,859 
73,028 
54,672 
45,231 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
2,973,575 
1,668,028 
1,025,385 
1 ,345,448 
1,291,365 
1,146,450 
913,913 
1,122,471 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
3,467,450 
3,208,753 
2,090,909 
2,140,420 
1,836,018 
1,190,287 
948,989 
796,015 
Farms by value of sales 
Less than $2,500 
17,620 
22,205 
22,446 
19,957 
11,511 
9,860 
11,109 
16,384 
$2,500 to $4,999 
3,668 
3,659 
4,572 
5,252 
4,954 
5,417 
5,985 
6,911 
$5,000 to $9,999 
4,222 
4,029 
4,260 
5,393 
4,387 
5,049 
5,012 
5,445 
$10,000 to $24,999 
4,332 
4,520 
3,892 
4,101 
3,666 
4,119 
4,070 
4,377 
$25,000 to $49,999 
2,288 
1,930 
1,588 
1,381 
1,265 
1,681 
1,771 
2,308 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,226 
1,070 
1,071 
1,138 
1,014 
1,248 
1,710 
2,148 
$100,000 to $499,999 
1,511 
1,901 
2,475 
2,685 
2,613 
3,489 
3,723 
4,185 
$500,000 or more 
3,209 
2,645 
1,882 
2,243 
1,908 
1,135 
694 
635 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
33,316 
36,353 
39,035 
37,524 
27,452 
28,263 
30,326 
38,255 
Partnership 
2,871 
3,769 
2,166 
3,310 
2,753 
2,754 
2,770 
3,046 
Corporation 
1,463 
1,467 
705 
1,028 
917 
850 
823 
886 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
426 
370 
280 
288 
196 
131 
155 
228 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 
None 
15,119 
15,138 
19,440 
14,626 
1 1 ,554 
12,246 
12,581 
14,255 
Any 
22,957 
26,821 
22,746 
25,237 
17,989 
17,241 
19,421 
24,263 
200 days or more 
14,826 
16,334 
16,909 
18,570 
13,004 
12,119 
13,518 
16,747 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
16,355 
15,935 
20,582 
15,515 
12,753 
14,463 
15,111 
18,236 
Other 
21,721 
26,024 
21,604 
26,635 
18,565 
17,535 
18,963 
24,179 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
60.4 
58.6 
57.2 
55.3 
55.6 
55.3 
53.8 
52.5 
Total farm production 
expenses ' 
....$1,000 
5,158,725 
4,288,729 
2,767,787 
2,964,295 
2,458,575 
1,954,337 
1,465,201 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ^ 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
576,540 
469,684 
380,748 
276,886 
229,688 
170,363 
138,882 
134,197 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
1,715,141 
1,468,308 
804,106 
1,121,605 
845,628 
458,354 
328,167 
288,860 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased ® 
....$1,000 
353,175 
263,845 
127,224 
126,691 
114,194 
124,296 
90,795 
114,525 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
288,348 
227,904 
122,546 
116,569 
100,997 
101,058 
86,016 
142,899 
Flired farm labor 
....$1,000 
266,511 
213,631 
184,111 
186,807 
169,897 
168,464 
142,341 
137,400 
Interest expense ® 
....$1,000 
150,975 
138,598 
124,247 
127,149 
108,338 
97,991 
90,636 
163,851 
Chemicals purchased 
....$1,000 
319,017 
219,911 
209,634 
224,350 
199,962 
216,262 
130,399 
140,183 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
15,940 
17,752 
21,096 
25,494 
19,319 
21,070 
22,482 
29,407 
number 
921,508 
987,342 
1 ,072,806 
1,195,839 
1,127,442 
1,152,331 
1,147,219 
1,488,148 
Beef cows 
farms 
14,644 
15,910 
18,511 
21,779 
17,151 
18,855 
19,008 
25,227 
number 
495,381 
521,517 
568,608 
605,388 
590,402 
588,920 
579,312 
713,119 
Milk cows 
farms 
184 
177 
627 
894 
688 
1,216 
1,643 
3,082 
number 
14,480 
22,560 
35,114 
46,332 
45,540 
64,510 
71,834 
96,224 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
13,178 
14,535 
16,494 
23,948 
18,912 
20,282 
22,087 
27,466 
number 
458,561 
530,495 
514,514 
628,147 
590,771 
580,526 
638,685 
704,606 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
540 
683 
692 
1,477 
662 
1,270 
2,237 
4,081 
number 
401,898 
337,244 
302,190 
236,184 
215,936 
160,917 
179,063 
223,274 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
306 
439 
504 
852 
425 
934 
1,622 
2,547 
number 
1,183,798 
1,294,545 
1,171,039 
790,042 
756,595 
278,764 
284,630 
356,868 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Mississippi 7 
