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 
37,249 
39,284 
35,939 
40,113 
29,011 
30,264 
33,559 
36,080 
Land in farms 
acres 
14,748,107 
14,972,789 
15,318,008 
15,778,606 
15,179,710 
15,726,007 
16,115,568 
16,469,678 
Average size of farm 
acres 
396 
381 
426 
393 
523 
520 
480 
456 
Estimated market value of 
land and buildings 
Average per farm 
dollars 
910,249 
759,146 
623,333 
520,306 
634,619 
468,482 
355,976 
423,352 
Average per acre 
dollars 
2,299 
1,992 
1,486 
1,292 
1,192 
892 
739 
933 
Estimated market value of all 
machinery and equipment 1 
....$1,000 
3,672,289 
3,278,858 
2,690,548 
2,325,580 
2,021,640 
1,843,190 
1,537,272 
1,652,940 
Average per farm 
dollars 
98,588 
83,468 
80,212 
57,987 
69,693 
61,053 
45,905 
45,947 
Farms by size: 
1 to 9 acres 
10,559 
9,211 
7,482 
9,208 
5,195 
5,408 
6,040 
6,425 
1 0 to 49 acres 
12,980 
14,790 
13,187 
14,791 
9,727 
10,115 
11,362 
12,717 
50 to 1 79 acres 
6,537 
7,307 
7,223 
7,646 
6,250 
6,536 
7,216 
7,755 
1 80 to 499 acres 
3,071 
3,479 
3,439 
3,536 
3,138 
3,336 
3,796 
4,038 
500 to 999 acres 
1,508 
1,731 
1,635 
1,770 
1,618 
1,699 
1,855 
1,927 
1 ,000 to 1 ,999 acres 
1,123 
1,218 
1,364 
1,502 
1,436 
1,461 
1,626 
1,548 
2,000 acres or more 
1,471 
1,548 
1,609 
1,660 
1,647 
1,709 
1,664 
1,670 
Total cropland 
farms 
25,045 
26,005 
28,184 
30,082 
24,656 
25,765 
28,891 
31,317 
acres 
7,526,742 
7,609,210 
8,038,469 
8,291,529 
7,913,709 
7,999,419 
8,168,454 
8,190,984 
Harvested cropland 
farms 
20,846 
20,091 
21,802 
24,168 
20,445 
21,282 
24,027 
26,067 
acres 
4,342,904 
4,387,169 
4,894,634 
5,160,717 
4,895,633 
4,734,673 
4,597,476 
5,278,772 
Irrigated land 
farms 
14,736 
15,492 
15,534 
16,261 
13,131 
14,068 
15,437 
16,252 
acres 
1,633,571 
1,735,917 
1,823,155 
1,787,120 
1,705,025 
1,641,437 
1,518,684 
1,638,470 
Market value of agricultural 
products sold (see text) 
....$1,000 
9,120,749 
6,792,856 
5,330,740 
4,947,886 
4,767,727 
3,821,222 
2,919,634 
2,831,159 
Average per farm 
dollars 
244,859 
172,917 
148,327 
123,349 
164,342 
126,263 
87,000 
78,469 
Crops, including nursery 
and greenhouse crops 
....$1,000 
6,492,042 
4,754,898 
3,582,818 
3,403,524 
3,251,291 
2,451,605 
1,688,656 
1,714,741 
Livestock, poultry, and 
their products 
....$1,000 
2,628,708 
2,037,958 
1,747,922 
1,544,362 
1,516,436 
1,369,617 
1,230,978 
1,116,418 
Farms by value of sales 2 : 
Less than $2,500 
16,900 
18,443 
15,005 
16,290 
8,698 
8,980 
10,599 
12,483 
$2,500 to $4,999 
4,084 
3,817 
3,244 
4,617 
3,299 
3,489 
4,166 
4,312 
$5,000 to $9,999 
3,542 
3,717 
3,106 
3,674 
2,954 
3,078 
3,507 
3,631 
$10,000 to $24,999 
3,398 
3,423 
3,454 
3,805 
3,242 
3,327 
3,684 
3,681 
$25,000 to $49,999 
1,843 
2,190 
2,378 
2,294 
1,972 
2,305 
2,668 
2,660 
$50,000 to $99,999 
1,380 
1,729 
2,157 
2,343 
2,093 
2,426 
2,995 
3,110 
$100,000 to $499,999 
3,367 
3,529 
4,634 
5,145 
4,872 
5,243 
4,978 
5,358 
$500,000 or more 
2,735 
2,436 
1,961 
1,945 
1,881 
1,416 
962 
812 
Farms by legal status for tax 
purposes (see text): 
Family or individual 
30,167 
32,547 
30,525 
33,711 
23,466 
25,126 
28,289 
31,107 
Partnership 
2,685 
2,932 
2,280 
2,998 
2,548 
2,675 
2,850 
2,748 
Corporation 
3,463 
3,266 
2,748 
3,112 
2,776 
2,271 
2,248 
2,043 
Other-cooperative, estate 
or trust, institutional, etc 
934 
539 
386 
292 
221 
192 
172 
182 
Principal operator by days of work 
off farm 3 : 
None 
14,862 
13,701 
16,798 
15,210 
12,363 
12,848 
13,268 
13,062 
Any 
22,387 
25,583 
19,141 
22,908 
15,079 
15,691 
18,561 
20,757 
200 days or more 
14,180 
15,396 
12,948 
15,894 
9,924 
10,441 
12,330 
13,943 
Principal operator by primary occupation: 
Farming 
17,650 
18,021 
21,013 
18,649 
15,465 
16,491 
17,654 
17,968 
Other 
19,599 
21,263 
14,926 
21,464 
13,546 
13,773 
15,905 
18,112 
Average age of principal operator 
years 
58.8 
57.0 
55.4 
53.2 
54.2 
53.1 
51.6 
50.1 
Total farm production 
expenses 1 
....$1,000 
7,839,554 
5,390,313 
4,430,693 
3,795,253 
3,607,282 
3,122,970 
2,425,028 
(NA) 
Selected farm production 
expenses ': 
Livestock and poultry purchased 
or leased 
....$1,000 
424,941 
326,256 
394,109 
361,019 
353,157 
360,704 
320,026 
347,434 
Feed purchased 
....$1,000 
1,106,416 
663,387 
471,553 
506,594 
495,975 
445,993 
341,396 
348,833 
Fertilizer, lime, and soil 
conditioners purchased 4 5 
....$1,000 
519,041 
380,358 
231,964 
242,558 
231,396 
185,614 
153,949 
174,198 
Gasoline, fuels, and oils purchased 
....$1,000 
353,923 
265,061 
145,339 
133,534 
124,646 
115,163 
90,991 
126,610 
Hired farm labor 
....$1,000 
1,713,124 
1,151,383 
987,399 
810,500 
771,003 
601,614 
420,768 
313,100 
Interest expense 6 
....$1,000 
244,078 
219,629 
248,172 
228,197 
214,518 
191,779 
176,125 
241,997 
Chemicals purchased 4 
....$1,000 
498,212 
317,784 
262,331 
219,606 
208,739 
170,128 
132,723 
102,290 
Livestock and poultry: 
Cattle and calves 
inventory 
farms 
11,861 
12,731 
12,215 
17,381 
11,721 
13,484 
15,434 
20,147 
number 
1,162,792 
1,088,846 
1,100,181 
1,211,350 
1,204,265 
1,270,275 
1,304,673 
1,321,820 
Beef cows 
farms 
9,285 
10,065 
9,128 
11,735 
8,627 
9,555 
10,799 
14,018 
number 
211,852 
274,001 
248,664 
301,814 
304,473 
310,554 
334,966 
339,997 
Milk cows 
farms 
798 
817 
1,208 
1,590 
1,302 
1,842 
2,410 
3,608 
number 
266,989 
243,132 
246,753 
247,437 
247,191 
242,787 
220,849 
210,254 
Cattle and calves sold 
farms 
8,420 
9,521 
8,979 
14,401 
10,857 
12,259 
14,371 
17,675 
number 
877,290 
912,299 
1,081,584 
1,109,756 
1,086,270 
1,014,365 
1,089,642 
1,127,460 
Hogs and pigs inventory 
farms 
934 
1,463 
961 
1,219 
978 
1,407 
1,525 
2,460 
number 
19,861 
28,545 
30,289 
40,152 
38,030 
56,171 
59,195 
73,836 
Hogs and pigs sold 
farms 
1,303 
1,596 
1,067 
1,092 
818 
1,150 
1,355 
1,934 
number 
27,141 
58,917 
80,159 
76,981 
72,045 
93,660 
104,934 
116,934 
See footnote(s) at end of table. -continued 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
Washington 7 
