Vanishing Family Farms
October 10, 2024
According to the latest Census of Agriculture, the number of U.S. farms declined 6.9% in the five years between 2017 and 2022, while the average farm size increased 5.0%. This trend continues a decades-long period of consolidation in U.S. agriculture.
Smaller, independent farms, including those owned and operated by families, often struggle to compete with larger, corporate-owned operations. And the agricultural giants have plenty of resources to buy up small farms that throw in the towel. In 2022, the largest 2% of U.S. farms (5,000 or more acres) controlled 42% of the nation’s farmland, up from 35% in 2002.
Percentage of total farmland, by size of farm (acres)
- 5,000 acres or more – 42%
- 1,000 to 4,999 acres – 31%
- 500 to 999 acres – 9%
- 180 to 499 acres – 10%
- 50 to 179 acres – 6%
- Less than 50 acres – 2%
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024
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