USDA Releases 2022 Census of Agriculture Data Down to the County Level

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) today announced the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level. The information collected directly from producers shows a continued fall in the total number of Louisiana farms. However, the data also show a rise in the number of new and beginning (operating 10 or fewer years on any farm) as well as young (under the age of 35) producers in Louisiana. The full Census of Agriculture report as well as publication dates for additional ag census data products can be found at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Ag census data can also be found in NASS’s searchable online database, Quick Stats.

“We are pleased to provide updated Census of Agriculture data to all those who serve U.S. agriculture, especially the producers who gave their time to complete the questionnaire. Census of Agriculture data tell a story. This comprehensive snapshot every five years helps data users to see trends and shifts in the industry over time and helps producers do business,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “Overall, though there are always changes across U.S. agriculture, the data remain largely consistent with the previous ag census. Data users will also notice some new data on the topics of hemp, precision agriculture, and internet access.”

Ag census data provide valuable insights into demographics, economics, land use and activities on Louisiana farms and ranches such as:

  • There were 25 thousand farms and ranches in Louisiana (down 9% from 2017) with an average size of 319 acres (up 9%) on 7.99 million acres of farmland (down 1%). That is 1% of all U.S. land.

  • Family-owned and operated farms accounted for 85% of all Louisiana farms and operated 60% of land in farms.

  • Louisiana farms and ranches produced $4.8 billion in agricultural products, up from $3.1 billion in 2017. With farm production expenses of $3.7 billion, Louisiana farms had net cash income of
    $1.3 billion. Average farm income rose to $52,255. A total of 34% of Louisiana farms had positive net cash farm income in 2022.

  • Louisiana farms with internet access continued to rise from 70% in 2017 to 77% in 2022.

  • In 2022, 1,296 Louisiana farms sold directly to consumers, with sales of $11.2 million. Value of food sold directly to consumers increased 15% from 2017.

  • The 1,238 farms with sales of $1 million or more were 5% of Louisiana farms and 36% of farmland; they sold more than $3.7 billion of agricultural products in Louisiana. The 20,364 Louisiana farms with sales of $50,000 or less accounted for 82% of farms and 30% of farmland.

  • The average age of all Louisiana producers was 58.0, up 0.6 years from 2017. This is a larger increase than average age increases between prior censuses.

  • There were 13,778 Louisiana farmers with 10 or fewer years of experience, a 5% increase from the number of beginning farmers in 2017. Beginning farmers in Louisiana are younger than all farmers, with an average age of 48.1.

  • The number of Louisiana producers under age 35 was 3,589, comprising 8% of all Louisiana producers. The 2,707 Louisiana farms with young producers making decisions tend to be larger than average in both acres and sales.

  • In 2022, 15,160 female producers accounted for 36% of all Louisiana producers. 32% of all Louisiana farms had at least one female decision maker.

To address questions about the 2022 Census of Agriculture data, NASS will host a live X Stat Chat (@usda_nass) for the public on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m. EST. Ag census data highlight publications are available at nass.usda.gov/Publications/Highlights.

First conducted in 1840 in conjunction with the decennial Census and conducted since 1997 by USDA NASS – the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture – the Census of Agriculture remains the most comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation.

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NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

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Allie Shipley