Counties in California by land in farms

Kern County had the highest land in farms of 56 counties in 2012, at 2,330,233 acres. San Francisco County had the lowest, at 12 acres. The median was 337,442 acres and the figure for California was 25,569,001 acres. Source: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest2,330,233Kern County
Median337,44256 counties
California25,569,001History

Map of counties, 2012

Alameda County: 177,798 acresAmador County: 155,187 acresButte County: 381,019 acresCalaveras County: 212,140 acresColusa County: 453,061 acresContra Costa County: 127,670 acresEl Dorado County: 128,365 acresFresno County: 1,721,202 acresGlenn County: 668,784 acresHumboldt County: 593,597 acresImperial County: 515,783 acresInyo County: 330,840 acresKern County: 2,330,233 acresKings County: 673,634 acresLake County: 150,721 acresLassen County: 482,680 acresLos Angeles County: 91,689 acresMadera County: 653,584 acresMarin County: 170,876 acresMariposa County: 283,611 acresMendocino County: 770,257 acresMerced County: 978,667 acresModoc County: 523,522 acresMono County: 56,386 acresMonterey County: 1,268,144 acresNapa County: 253,370 acresNevada County: 42,114 acresOrange County: 60,497 acresPlacer County: 91,403 acresPlumas County: 174,210 acresRiverside County: 344,044 acresSacramento County: 246,840 acresSan Benito County: 604,319 acresSan Bernardino County: 77,199 acresSan Diego County: 221,538 acresSan Francisco County: 12 acresSan Joaquin County: 787,015 acresSan Luis Obispo County: 1,338,874 acresSan Mateo County: 48,160 acresSanta Barbara County: 701,039 acresSanta Clara County: 229,927 acresSanta Cruz County: 99,983 acresShasta County: 376,306 acresSierra County: 39,141 acresSiskiyou County: 722,855 acresSolano County: 407,101 acresSonoma County: 589,771 acresStanislaus County: 768,046 acresSutter County: 375,174 acresTehama County: 616,521 acresTrinity County: 175,948 acresTulare County: 1,239,000 acresTuolumne County: 87,813 acresVentura County: 281,046 acresYolo County: 460,824 acresYuba County: 187,638 acres
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acres, 2012. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2012

Kern County: 2,330,233 acresKern County2,330,233Fresno County: 1,721,202 acresFresno County1,721,202San Luis Obispo County: 1,338,874 acresSan Luis Obispo County1,338,874Monterey County: 1,268,144 acresMonterey County1,268,144Tulare County: 1,239,000 acresTulare County1,239,000Merced County: 978,667 acresMerced County978,667San Joaquin County: 787,015 acresSan Joaquin County787,015Mendocino County: 770,257 acresMendocino County770,257Stanislaus County: 768,046 acresStanislaus County768,046Siskiyou County: 722,855 acresSiskiyou County722,855Santa Barbara County: 701,039 acresSanta Barbara County701,039Kings County: 673,634 acresKings County673,634Glenn County: 668,784 acresGlenn County668,784Madera County: 653,584 acresMadera County653,584Tehama County: 616,521 acresTehama County616,521San Benito County: 604,319 acresSan Benito County604,319Humboldt County: 593,597 acresHumboldt County593,597Sonoma County: 589,771 acresSonoma County589,771Modoc County: 523,522 acresModoc County523,522Imperial County: 515,783 acresImperial County515,783Lassen County: 482,680 acresLassen County482,680Yolo County: 460,824 acresYolo County460,824Colusa County: 453,061 acresColusa County453,061Solano County: 407,101 acresSolano County407,101Butte County: 381,019 acresButte County381,019Shasta County: 376,306 acresShasta County376,306Sutter County: 375,174 acresSutter County375,174Riverside County: 344,044 acresRiverside County344,044Inyo County: 330,840 acresInyo County330,840Mariposa County: 283,611 acresMariposa County283,611Ventura County: 281,046 acresVentura County281,046Napa County: 253,370 acresNapa County253,370Sacramento County: 246,840 acresSacramento County246,840Santa Clara County: 229,927 acresSanta Clara County229,927San Diego County: 221,538 acresSan Diego County221,538Calaveras County: 212,140 acresCalaveras County212,140Yuba County: 187,638 acresYuba County187,638Alameda County: 177,798 acresAlameda County177,798Trinity County: 175,948 acresTrinity County175,948Plumas County: 174,210 acresPlumas County174,210Marin County: 170,876 acresMarin County170,876Amador County: 155,187 acresAmador County155,187Lake County: 150,721 acresLake County150,721El Dorado County: 128,365 acresEl Dorado County128,365Contra Costa County: 127,670 acresContra Costa County127,670Santa Cruz County: 99,983 acresSanta Cruz County99,983Los Angeles County: 91,689 acresLos Angeles County91,689Placer County: 91,403 acresPlacer County91,403Tuolumne County: 87,813 acresTuolumne County87,813San Bernardino County: 77,199 acresSan Bernardino County77,199Orange County: 60,497 acresOrange County60,497Mono County: 56,386 acresMono County56,386San Mateo County: 48,160 acresSan Mateo County48,160Nevada County: 42,114 acresNevada County42,114Sierra County: 39,141 acresSierra County39,141San Francisco County: 12 acresSan Francisco County12Kern County: 2,330,233 acresKern County2,330,233Fresno County: 1,721,202 acresFresno County1,721,202San Luis Obispo County: 1,338,874 acresSan Luis Obispo County1,338,874Monterey County: 1,268,144 acresMonterey County1,268,144Tulare County: 1,239,000 acresTulare County1,239,000Merced County: 978,667 acresMerced County978,667San Joaquin County: 787,015 acresSan Joaquin County787,015Mendocino County: 770,257 acresMendocino County770,257Stanislaus County: 768,046 acresStanislaus County768,046Siskiyou County: 722,855 acresSiskiyou County722,855Santa Barbara County: 701,039 acresSanta Barbara County701,039Kings County: 673,634 acresKings County673,634Glenn County: 668,784 acresGlenn County668,784Madera County: 653,584 acresMadera County653,584Tehama County: 616,521 acresTehama County616,521San Benito County: 604,319 acresSan Benito County604,319Humboldt County: 593,597 acresHumboldt County593,597Sonoma County: 589,771 acresSonoma County589,771Modoc County: 523,522 acresModoc County523,522Imperial County: 515,783 acresImperial County515,783Lassen County: 482,680 acresLassen County482,680Yolo County: 460,824 acresYolo County460,824Colusa County: 453,061 acresColusa County453,061Solano County: 407,101 acresSolano County407,101Butte County: 381,019 acresButte County381,019Shasta County: 376,306 acresShasta County376,306Sutter County: 375,174 acresSutter County375,174Riverside County: 344,044 acresRiverside County344,044Inyo County: 330,840 acresInyo County330,840Mariposa County: 283,611 acresMariposa County283,611Ventura County: 281,046 acresVentura County281,046Napa County: 253,370 acresNapa County253,370Sacramento County: 246,840 acresSacramento County246,840Santa Clara County: 229,927 acresSanta Clara County229,927San Diego County: 221,538 acresSan Diego County221,538Calaveras County: 212,140 acresCalaveras County212,140Yuba County: 187,638 acresYuba County187,638Alameda County: 177,798 acresAlameda County177,798Trinity County: 175,948 acresTrinity County175,948Plumas County: 174,210 acresPlumas County174,210Marin County: 170,876 acresMarin County170,876Amador County: 155,187 acresAmador County155,187Lake County: 150,721 acresLake County150,721El Dorado County: 128,365 acresEl Dorado County128,365Contra Costa County: 127,670 acresContra Costa County127,670Santa Cruz County: 99,983 acresSanta Cruz County99,983Los Angeles County: 91,689 acresLos Angeles County91,689Placer County: 91,403 acresPlacer County91,403Tuolumne County: 87,813 acresTuolumne County87,813San Bernardino County: 77,199 acresSan Bernardino County77,199Orange County: 60,497 acresOrange County60,497Mono County: 56,386 acresMono County56,386San Mateo County: 48,160 acresSan Mateo County48,160Nevada County: 42,114 acresNevada County42,114Sierra County: 39,141 acresSierra County39,141San Francisco County: 12 acresSan Francisco County12
acres. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

Other periods

About this ranking

Land operated by farms in the census year, in acres, including cropland, pasture, woodland and land under farm buildings, 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. 2 counties with data in other periods have no value for 2012 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, 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: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) (Counties in California by land in farms, 2012) [Data set]. Data Commons. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/

MLA 9

Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in California by land in farms, 2012. 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/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2026. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Counties in California by land in farms, 2012. Dataset. Distributed by Data Commons. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2026) Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in California by land in farms, 2012 [Dataset]. Via Data Commons. Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_california_by_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service}},
  title = {{Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in California by land in farms, 2012}},
  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/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012. Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, 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: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in California by land in farms, 2012
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/11
PB  - Data Commons
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Retrieved through Data Commons (https://datacommons.org).
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/california-counties?period=2012.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, 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 land in farms?

Kern County, with 2,330,233 acres in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Which county has the lowest land in farms?

San Francisco County, with 12 acres in 2012.

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: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved 2026-10-11. 2 counties have no value for 2012 and are not ranked.

Land in farms: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings