1

Black Farmers 

Up 12 percent since 2007; most live in southern states.

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.agcensus.usda.gov

(800)727-9540

ACH12-10/September 2014

Highlights

In 2012, the number of black farmers in the United States was 44,629. This was 

a 12 percent increase percent since 2007, when the last agriculture census 

was conducted. Nationally black farmers were 1.4 percent of the country’s 3.2 

million farmers 

in 2012. Ninety 

percent lived in 

twelve southern 

states. Freestone 

County, Texas, 

had more black 

farmers than any 

other county. 

Principal Operators

Of total black farmers, 33,371 were principal operators, that is, the person in 

charge of the farm’s day-to-day operations. Farms with black principal operators 

increased 

9 percent 

between 2007 

and 2012. In 

contrast, principal 

operators of all 

farms declined 4 

percent. (Table 1)

Table 1

Black Farm Operators, 2007 and 2012

2007 2012

%

change

Black farm operators 39,697 44,629 +12%

Total farm operators 3.3 million 3.2 million -3%

Blacks as % of total 1.2% 1.4%

Black principal operators 30,599 33,371 +9%

Total principal operators 2.2 million 2.1 million -4%*

Blacks as % of total 1.4% 1.6%

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Black Farm Operators, by County, 2012

operators

0

1 - 9

10 - 24

25 - 49

50 - 99

100 - 477

U.S. = 44,629

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

33,371 farms . . . 

. . . sold $846 million in 

agricultural products and 

operated 3.6 million acres 

of farmland.

About the Numbers

This Highlights document includes 

data for operators reporting their race 

only as “Black or African American.” 

An additional 1,953 respondents to the 

2012 Census of Agriculture indicated 

they are “Black or African American” 

in addition to one or more other races. 

For more information on black farmers, 

see http://bit.ly/REGprofiles.

*Statistically significant change. See 

http://bit.ly/AgCensusFAQs.
2 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

cent of farms with a black principal operator had fewer than 

180 acres in 2012, and 79 percent had sales of less than 

$10,000. (Table 3). 

Table 3 

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

(percent)

Black-operated Farms All Farms

Farm Size

< 50 acres 49 39

50 to 179 acres 37 30

180 to 999 acres 13 23

1,000 acres or more 1 8

Total 100 100

Farm Sales

< $10,000 79 56

$10,000 to $49,999 15 19

$50,000 to $249,999 4 13

$250,000 to $999,999 1 8

$1,000,000 or more 1 4

Total 100 100

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Top Commodities

Nearly half of farms with a black principal operator specialized in beef cattle in 2012. The next largest category was 

mainly farms with no single majority crop. (Table 4)

Table 4

Top Farms by Commodity Specializationa, 2012

(black principal operator)

No. of Farms % of Farms

Beef cattle 16,132 48

Combination cropsb 7,036 21

Oilseeds and grains 2,588 8

Combination animalsb 2,590 8

Vegetables and melons 1,819 5

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 black farms and farmers, the 

2012 Census of Agriculture, and how to access 

national, state, and county data, go to:

www.agcensus.usda.gov

Texas has more black farmers than any other state, but they 

make up only 3 percent of the state’s total farmers. Black 

farmers make up a larger share of total farmers in Mississippi 

(12%), Louisiana (7%), South Carolina (7%), Alabama (6%), 

and Georgia (4%).

Black operators tend to be older than operators overall. 

Their average age in 2012 was 61.9 years compared with 

58.3 years for all principal operators. In most other respects 

– gender, role of farming, length of time on farm, etc. – 

black farmers resemble farmers generally. (Table 2)

Table 2 

Black Principal Operators, 2007 and 2012

Black Principal Operators All Principal

2007 2012 Operators, 2012

(percent)

Age

< 35 years 3 3 6

35 to 64 years 60 55 61

65 years+ 37 42 33

Gender

Male / Female 86 / 14 86 / 14 86 / 14

Primary occupation

Farming / Other 44 / 56 48 / 52 48 / 52

Worked off farm

Yes/No 66 / 34 60 / 40 61 / 39

Years on present farm

0 - 4 11 9 8

5 - 9 17 14 14

10 + 72 77 78

Internet access

Yes / No 34 / 66 55 / 45 70 / 30

Average age (years) 60.3 61.9 58.3

Source: USDA NASS, 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Farm Size and Sales

Black principal operators sold $846 million of agricultural 

products in 2012, including $502 million in crop sales and 

$344 million in livestock sales. They operated 3.6 million 

acres of farmland. Black sales represented 0.2 percent of 

total U.S. agriculture sales, and black-operated farmland 

accounted for 0.4 percent of U.S. farmland. 

Farms with black operators tend to be smaller than farms 

overall, with fewer acres and lower sales. Eighty-six per-