Top States in Farm

Expenditures ($ bil)

California 37.4

Iowa 26.4

Texas 25.9

Nebraska 22.6

Kansas 19.2

About this Survey

Data presented here are based 

on the survey of farm production 

expenditures the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service conducts annually in 

the 48 contiguous states as part of the 

Agricultural Resource Management 

Survey (ARMS).

ARMS provides annual data on the 

financial health of the farm sector and 

farm household finances. For more on 

the information ARMS provides, go to 

http://go.usa.gov/x27WH.

Access all farm expenditure data 

through the Quick Stats database 

(https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov). 

U.S. Farm Production 

Expenditures, 2017

NASS Highlights August 2018 • No. 2018-7

Per farm expenditures 

up 4.3 percent

Total and per farm production expenditures in the United States increased 

in 2017 for the first time since 2014. Expenditures were up in every region, in 

every economic class, and in 13 of 17 spending categories. Farm expenditures 

increased for both crop and livestock farms.

Total Farm Expenditures

Total expenditures by U.S. farms (not including Alaska and Hawaii) were 

$359.8 billion in 2017, up 3.7 percent from $346.9 billion in 2016 but still 

down 9.5 percent since the peak in 2014. (Fig. 1) As Table 1 shows, five 

Fig. 1. U.S. Total Farm Expenditures, 2007 – 2017 ($ billion)

2007

283.5

2008

307.0

2009

287.4

2010

289.1

2011

318.7

2012

360.1

2013

367.3

2014

397.6

2015

362.8

2016

346.9

2017

359.8

Source: USDA NASS.

Table 1. Farm Expenditures, by Category, 2017 ($ billion and percent)

$ billion %

Feed 55.2 15.3

Farm services 43.8 12.2

Livestock, poultry, and related expenses 42.1 11.7

Labor 35.1 9.8

Rent 29.7 8.3

Seeds and plants 22.2 6.2

Fertilizer, lime, and soil conditioners 22.0 6.1

Farm supplies and repairs 18.3 5.1

Farm improvements and construction 16.4 4.6

Agricultural chemicals 15.5 4.3

Taxes 13.0 3.6

Tractors and self-propelled farm 

machinery 12.6 3.5

Other expenses 33.9 9.3

Total 359.8 100.0

Source: USDA NASS.

Feed, at $55.2 

billion, was the 

largest expense 

item, accounting 

for 15.3 percent of 

farm expenditures.

www.nass.usda.gov

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service
expenditure categories (feed, farm services, livestock/

poultry/related expenses, labor, and rent) accounted 

for 57.3 percent of 2017 farm expenditures. Twelve 

categories accounted for 90.7 percent of the total. “Other” 

includes fuel, interest, other machinery, trucks/autos, and 

miscellaneous capital expenses.

Farm services and livestock/poultry/related expenses 

were the two categories with the largest increases (each 

up $2.1 billion between 2016 and 2017). In percentage 

terms, the categories with the largest increases were: 

trucks/autos (up 25 percent), followed by tractors/selfpropelled machinery (up 18.9 percent), and other farm 

machinery (up 18 percent). 

Between 2016 and 2017, expenditures by crop farms 

increased 3.9 percent and expenditures by livestock 

farms increased 3.5 percent. In 2017, crop farm 

expenditures ($183.9 billion) exceeded livestock farm 

expenditures ($175.9 billion). (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2. Total Farm Expenditures, Crop and Livestock Farms, 

2007 – 2017 ($ billion)

100.0

140.0

180.0

220.0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

 Crop Farms Livestock Farms

$183.9 bil

$175.9 bil

Source: USDA NASS.

Per Farm Average Expenditures

Per farm average expenditures in 2017 were $176,352, up 

4.3 percent from 2016. They were higher for crop farms 

($210,081) than for livestock farms ($151,005). (Fig. 3) 

Per Farm Average Expenditures, Crop and Livestock Farms, 

2007 – 2017 ($ per farm)

$210,081

$151,005

 Crop Farms Livestock Farms

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

175,000

200,000

225,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Source: USDA NASS.

Per Farm Average Expenditures, 

Selected States, 2017 

($ per farm)

California 484,825 

Nebraska 476,266 

Kansas 322,232 

Iowa 303,797 

Washington 238,095 

Illinois 236,056 

North Carolina 233,054 

Minnesota 228,005 

Arkansas 193,617 

Indiana 181,074 

Georgia 173,350 

Wisconsin 168,686 

Florida 130,532 

Texas 107,875 

Missouri 107,708 

Source: USDA NASS.

Regional Shares of U.S. Farm Production Expenditures, 2017

(not including Alaska and Hawaii)

U.S. = $359.8 billion

Midwest 30%

Plains 26%

West 22%

Atlantic 12%

South 10%

Source: USDA NASS.

Of fifteen large 

agricultural 

states, California 

had the highest 

per farm 

expenditures 

and Missouri 

had the lowest.

The Midwest region 

accounted for

30 percent of farm 

expenditures; the 

South had the

smallest share.

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