1

Women Farmers 

Control 7 percent of U.S. farmland, account for 3 percent of sales.

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.agcensus.usda.gov

(800)727-9540

ACH12-12/September 2014

Highlights

In 2012, the number of women farmers in the United States was 969,672. 

This was a 2 percent decrease in women farmers since 2007, when the last 

agriculture census was conducted. Nationally women were 30 percent of 

farmers, but 

in states in 

the Northeast, 

Southwest, and 

West women 

comprise larger 

shares. Although 

Texas had the 

most women 

farmers, Arizona 

had the highest 

proportion of 

women farmers 

(45 percent of 

all farmers in the 

state). 

Principal Operators

Of total female farmers, 288,264 were principal operators, that is, the person in 

charge of the farm’s day-to-day operations. Farms with women principal operators decreased 6 

percent between 

2007 and 2012; 

the total number 

of farms and 

principal operators declined 4 

percent in that 

time. (Table 1)

Table 1

Women Farm Operators, 2007 and 2012

2007 2012

%

change

Women farm operators 985,192 969,672 -2%

Total farm operators 3.3 million 3.2 million -3%

Women as % of total 30% 30%

Women principal operators 306,209 288,264 -6%

Total principal operators 2.2 million 2.1 million -4%*

Women as % of total 14% 14%

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Women Farm Operators, by County, 2012

operators

0 - 99

100 - 249

250 - 499

500 - 999

1,000 - 1,999

2,000 - 4,498

U.S. = 969,672

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

14 percent . . . 

. . . of the nation’s 2.1 million 

farms had a female principal 

operator in 2012.

For more information on women 

farmers, see http://bit.ly/REGprofiles.

*Statistically significant change. Seehttp://bit.ly/AgCensusFAQs
2 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Table 3 

Farms with Woman Principal Operator, by Farm Size and Sales, 2012

(percent)

Woman-operated Farms All Farms

Farm Size

< 50 acres 54 39

50 to 179 acres 28 30

180 to 999 acres 15 23

1,000 acres or more 3 8

Total 100 100

Farm Sales

Less than $10,000 76 56

$10,000 to $49,999 15 19

$50,000 to $249,999 6 13

$250,000 to $999,999 2 8

$1,000,000 or more 1 4

Total 100 100

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Top Commodities

About a fourth of women farmers specialized in combination crop farming (including hay production) in 2012. The 

next largest categories were beef cattle farming and ranching and combination livestock farming (including horse 

farming). (Table 4) 

Table 4

Top Farms by Commodity Specializationa, 2012

(woman principal operator)

No. of Farms % of Farms

Combination cropsb 74,989 26

Beef cattle 66,714 23

Combination animalsb 63,390 22

Sheep and goats 19,677 7

Grains and oilseeds 16,609 6

a

More than half of a farm’s sales come from that commodity.

b

Farms with no single majority commodity and farms specializing in miscellaneous commodities.

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

To learn more about women farmers and their 

farms, the 2012 Census of Agriculture, and how to 

access national, state, and county data, go to:

www.agcensus.usda.gov

Women principal operators tend to be older than principal 

operators overall. Only 4 percent of women principal operators were under 35 years old in 2012, compared to 6 percent of all principal operators. The average age of women 

principal operators was 60.1 years, nearly two years more 

than the average age overall. Women principal operators 

increased their Internet access in 2012, and now match the 

access rate of all principal operators. Women operators are 

less likely to report farming as their primary occupation, as 

well as to work off the farm. (Table 2)

Table 2 

Women Principal Operators, 2007 and 2012

Women All Principal

2007 2012 Operators, 2012

(percent)

Age

< 35 years 4 4 6

35 to 64 years 62 59 61

65 years+ 34 37 33

Primary occupation

Farming / Other 40 / 60 43 / 57 48 / 52

Worked off farm

Yes/No 59 / 41 57 / 43 61 / 39

Years on present farm

0 - 4 13 11 8

5 - 9 21 17 14

10 + 66 72 78

Internet access

Yes / No 55 / 45 70 / 30 70 / 30

Average age (years) 58.8 60.1 58.3

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Farm Size and Sales

Women principal operators sold $12.9 billion in agricultural 

products in 2012, including $6.0 billion in crop sales and 

$6.9 billion in livestock sales. They operated 62.7 million 

acres of farmland. Sales by women represented 3.3 percent of total U.S. agriculture sales, and women operated 

6.9 percent of U.S. farmland. 

Farms with women operators tend to be smaller than 

farms overall, with fewer acres and lower sales. Eighty-two 

percent of farms with a woman principal operator had fewer 

than 180 acres in 2012, and 76 percent had sales of less 

than $10,000 in 2012. (Table 3)