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 
31,800 
21,489 
9,041 
1,270 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
22,480 
18,784 
2,913 
783 
Spouse of principal operator 
926 
(X) 
908 
18 
Female 
9,320 
2,705 
6,128 
487 
Spouse of principal operator 
5,697 
(X) 
5,552 
145 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
12,372 
9,164 
2,857 
351 
Other 
19,428 
12,325 
6,184 
919 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
26,462 
18,080 
7,548 
834 
Not on farm operated 
5,338 
3,409 
1,493 
436 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
11,414 
8,092 
2,975 
347 
Any 
20,386 
13,397 
6,066 
923 
1 to 49 days 
2,396 
1,563 
712 
121 
50 to 99 days 
1,641 
1,062 
499 
80 
1 00 to 1 99 days 
3,227 
2,022 
1,044 
161 
200 days or more 
13,122 
8,750 
3,811 
561 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
1,133 
583 
410 
140 
3 or 4 years 
1,788 
1,006 
648 
134 
5 to 9 years 
4,958 
2,936 
1,748 
274 
10 years or more 
23,921 
16,964 
6,235 
722 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
901 
454 
329 
118 
3 or 4 years 
1,541 
850 
571 
120 
5 to 9 years 
4,449 
2,566 
1,608 
275 
10 years or more 
24,909 
17,619 
6,533 
757 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
466 
60 
191 
215 
25 to 34 years 
1,776 
834 
713 
229 
35 to 44 years 
3,651 
1,988 
1,470 
193 
45 to 54 years 
6,866 
4,234 
2,370 
262 
55 to 64 years 
8,948 
6,309 
2,453 
186 
65 to 74 years 
6,808 
5,235 
1,450 
123 
75 years and over 
3,285 
2,829 
394 
62 
Average age 
57.2 
59.7 
52.9 
44.2 
Number of persons living in household 
61,544 
52,765 
6,919 
1,860 
1 Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
West Virginia 41 
