Counties in California by farms

Fresno County had the highest farms of 58 counties in 2002, at 6,281. San Francisco County had the lowest, at 8. The median was 1,010 and the figure for California was 79,631. Source: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

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Highest6,281Fresno County
Median1,01058 counties
California79,631History

Map of counties, 2002

Alameda County: 424 countAlpine County: 14 countAmador County: 451 countButte County: 2,128 countCalaveras County: 576 countColusa County: 821 countContra Costa County: 592 countDel Norte County: 89 countEl Dorado County: 1,116 countFresno County: 6,281 countGlenn County: 1,283 countHumboldt County: 993 countImperial County: 537 countInyo County: 85 countKern County: 2,147 countKings County: 1,154 countLake County: 880 countLassen County: 419 countLos Angeles County: 1,543 countMadera County: 1,780 countMarin County: 254 countMariposa County: 284 countMendocino County: 1,184 countMerced County: 2,964 countModoc County: 428 countMono County: 63 countMonterey County: 1,216 countNapa County: 1,456 countNevada County: 599 countOrange County: 348 countPlacer County: 1,438 countPlumas County: 142 countRiverside County: 3,186 countSacramento County: 1,513 countSan Benito County: 677 countSan Bernardino County: 1,386 countSan Diego County: 5,255 countSan Francisco County: 8 countSan Joaquin County: 4,026 countSan Luis Obispo County: 2,322 countSan Mateo County: 306 countSanta Barbara County: 1,444 countSanta Clara County: 1,026 countSanta Cruz County: 754 countShasta County: 1,126 countSierra County: 52 countSiskiyou County: 796 countSolano County: 915 countSonoma County: 3,447 countStanislaus County: 4,267 countSutter County: 1,391 countTehama County: 1,573 countTrinity County: 135 countTulare County: 5,738 countTuolumne County: 358 countVentura County: 2,318 countYolo County: 1,060 countYuba County: 863 count
  • Under 300
  • 300 to 590
  • 590 to 1,000
  • 1,000 to 1,400
  • 1,400 to 2,200
  • 2,200 and over
count, 2002. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2002

Fresno County: 6,281 countFresno County6,281Tulare County: 5,738 countTulare County5,738San Diego County: 5,255 countSan Diego County5,255Stanislaus County: 4,267 countStanislaus County4,267San Joaquin County: 4,026 countSan Joaquin County4,026Sonoma County: 3,447 countSonoma County3,447Riverside County: 3,186 countRiverside County3,186Merced County: 2,964 countMerced County2,964San Luis Obispo County: 2,322 countSan Luis Obispo County2,322Ventura County: 2,318 countVentura County2,318Kern County: 2,147 countKern County2,147Butte County: 2,128 countButte County2,128Madera County: 1,780 countMadera County1,780Tehama County: 1,573 countTehama County1,573Los Angeles County: 1,543 countLos Angeles County1,543Sacramento County: 1,513 countSacramento County1,513Napa County: 1,456 countNapa County1,456Santa Barbara County: 1,444 countSanta Barbara County1,444Placer County: 1,438 countPlacer County1,438Sutter County: 1,391 countSutter County1,391San Bernardino County: 1,386 countSan Bernardino County1,386Glenn County: 1,283 countGlenn County1,283Monterey County: 1,216 countMonterey County1,216Mendocino County: 1,184 countMendocino County1,184Kings County: 1,154 countKings County1,154Shasta County: 1,126 countShasta County1,126El Dorado County: 1,116 countEl Dorado County1,116Yolo County: 1,060 countYolo County1,060Santa Clara County: 1,026 countSanta Clara County1,026Humboldt County: 993 countHumboldt County993Solano County: 915 countSolano County915Lake County: 880 countLake County880Yuba County: 863 countYuba County863Colusa County: 821 countColusa County821Siskiyou County: 796 countSiskiyou County796Santa Cruz County: 754 countSanta Cruz County754San Benito County: 677 countSan Benito County677Nevada County: 599 countNevada County599Contra Costa County: 592 countContra Costa County592Calaveras County: 576 countCalaveras County576Imperial County: 537 countImperial County537Amador County: 451 countAmador County451Modoc County: 428 countModoc County428Alameda County: 424 countAlameda County424Lassen County: 419 countLassen County419Tuolumne County: 358 countTuolumne County358Orange County: 348 countOrange County348San Mateo County: 306 countSan Mateo County306Mariposa County: 284 countMariposa County284Marin County: 254 countMarin County254Plumas County: 142 countPlumas County142Trinity County: 135 countTrinity County135Del Norte County: 89 countDel Norte County89Inyo County: 85 countInyo County85Mono County: 63 countMono County63Sierra County: 52 countSierra County52Alpine County: 14 countAlpine County14San Francisco County: 8 countSan Francisco County8Fresno County: 6,281 countFresno County6,281Tulare County: 5,738 countTulare County5,738San Diego County: 5,255 countSan Diego County5,255Stanislaus County: 4,267 countStanislaus County4,267San Joaquin County: 4,026 countSan Joaquin County4,026Sonoma County: 3,447 countSonoma County3,447Riverside County: 3,186 countRiverside County3,186Merced County: 2,964 countMerced County2,964San Luis Obispo County: 2,322 countSan Luis Obispo County2,322Ventura County: 2,318 countVentura County2,318Kern County: 2,147 countKern County2,147Butte County: 2,128 countButte County2,128Madera County: 1,780 countMadera County1,780Tehama County: 1,573 countTehama County1,573Los Angeles County: 1,543 countLos Angeles County1,543Sacramento County: 1,513 countSacramento County1,513Napa County: 1,456 countNapa County1,456Santa Barbara County: 1,444 countSanta Barbara County1,444Placer County: 1,438 countPlacer County1,438Sutter County: 1,391 countSutter County1,391San Bernardino County: 1,386 countSan Bernardino County1,386Glenn County: 1,283 countGlenn County1,283Monterey County: 1,216 countMonterey County1,216Mendocino County: 1,184 countMendocino County1,184Kings County: 1,154 countKings County1,154Shasta County: 1,126 countShasta County1,126El Dorado County: 1,116 countEl Dorado County1,116Yolo County: 1,060 countYolo County1,060Santa Clara County: 1,026 countSanta Clara County1,026Humboldt County: 993 countHumboldt County993Solano County: 915 countSolano County915Lake County: 880 countLake County880Yuba County: 863 countYuba County863Colusa County: 821 countColusa County821Siskiyou County: 796 countSiskiyou County796Santa Cruz County: 754 countSanta Cruz County754San Benito County: 677 countSan Benito County677Nevada County: 599 countNevada County599Contra Costa County: 592 countContra Costa County592Calaveras County: 576 countCalaveras County576Imperial County: 537 countImperial County537Amador County: 451 countAmador County451Modoc County: 428 countModoc County428Alameda County: 424 countAlameda County424Lassen County: 419 countLassen County419Tuolumne County: 358 countTuolumne County358Orange County: 348 countOrange County348San Mateo County: 306 countSan Mateo County306Mariposa County: 284 countMariposa County284Marin County: 254 countMarin County254Plumas County: 142 countPlumas County142Trinity County: 135 countTrinity County135Del Norte County: 89 countDel Norte County89Inyo County: 85 countInyo County85Mono County: 63 countMono County63Sierra County: 52 countSierra County52Alpine County: 14 countAlpine County14San Francisco County: 8 countSan Francisco County8
count. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

Other periods

About this ranking

Places from which 1,000 dollars or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year, as counted by the USDA Census of Agriculture every five years.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2026). Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) (Counties in California by farms, 2002) [Data set]. Data Commons. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/

MLA 9

Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in California by farms, 2002. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 11 Oct. 2026, https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Data Commons, https://datacommons.org. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2026. Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Counties in California by farms, 2002. Dataset. Distributed by Data Commons. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2026) Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in California by farms, 2002 [Dataset]. Via Data Commons. Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_california_by_2002,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service}},
  title = {{Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in California by farms, 2002}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  publisher = {Data Commons},
  url = {https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Retrieved through Data Commons (https://datacommons.org). Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002. Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
TI  - Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in California by farms, 2002
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/11
PB  - Data Commons
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Retrieved through Data Commons (https://datacommons.org).
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/farms/california-counties?period=2002.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest farms?

Fresno County, with 6,281 in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Which county has the lowest farms?

San Francisco County, with 8 in 2002.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture: number of farms, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Farms: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings