Butte County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Butte County, California grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Butte County's biggest by acreage are rice (69,496 acres), walnuts (43,881 acres) and almonds (33,271 acres). Its farms sold $514 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 23rd of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for walnuts (2nd of 80 counties), rice (4th of 100 counties), plums (4th of 262 counties) and olives (7th of 51 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $514 million188th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 1,667388,383 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 95% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 6850 published, 17 withheld, 1 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Butte County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Butte County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in California and in the US, by the 2022 Census of Agriculture measure shown. An asterisk means the rank is among counties with published figures; a county whose figure is withheld could rank higher.
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 643 million pounds | 1 | 4* | 28% | production |
| Plums | 5,107 acres | 4 | 4* | 11% | bearing acres |
| Kiwifruit | 305 acres | 3* | 3* | 7% | bearing acres |
| Corn | 384,030 bushels | 4 | 1,586* | 6% | production |
| Hogs | 3,481 hogs | 3* | 579* | 4% | head on farms |
| Sunflowers | 1 million pounds | 5* | 134* | 3% | production |
| Olives | 1,045 acres | 7* | 7* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Almonds | 33,271 acres | 11 | 11* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Peaches | 767 acres | 10 | 17* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Goats | 1,062 goats | 31* | 543* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Honey | 195,114 pounds | 21 | 137* | under 1% | production |
| Pumpkins | 33 acres | 19* | 365* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 2,115 sheep | 26* | 408* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 19,927 cattle | 31 | 1,245* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Apples | 25 acres | 18* | 387* | under 1% | bearing acres |
Show all 50 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistachios | 977 acres | 9* | 9* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Chile peppers | 8 acres | 16* | 109* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hay | 9,907 tons | 35* | 2,137* | under 1% | production |
| Tangerines | 80 acres | 11* | 20* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Bell peppers | 11 acres | 17* | 171* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Oranges | 93 acres | 12* | 36* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Pears | 4 acres | 16* | 183* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Eggs | 5,141 laying hens | 19* | 618* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Grapes | 262 acres | 31* | 78* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Figs | 2 acres | 12* | 47* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cucumbers | 2 acres | 27* | 615* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 2 acres | 18* | 640* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sweet cherries | 8 acres | 17* | 84* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Apricots | 1 acre | 20* | 57* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Watermelon | 2 acres | 20* | 686* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Kale | 1 acre | 27* | 304* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 185 milk cows | 19* | 862* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Honeydew | 1 acre | 18* | 69* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Turkeys | 153 turkeys | 14* | 495* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 acre | 8* | 97* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 1 acre | 20* | 416* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 1 acre | 22* | 889* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 1 acre | 32* | 425* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cantaloupe | 1 acre | 31* | 531* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cauliflower | 1 acre | 22* | 191* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 1 acre | 29* | 440* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Spinach | 1 acre | 16* | 211* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Carrots | 1 acre | 23* | 340* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Lemons | 1 acre | 15* | 41* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Broccoli | 1 acre | 26* | 334* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 2 acres | 34* | 366* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 482 broiler chickens | 22* | 1,105* | under 1% | head sold |
| Blueberries | 13 acres | 8* | 255* | bearing acres | |
| Pecans | 162 acres | 2* | 172* | bearing acres | |
| Walnuts | 43,881 acres | 2* | 2* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: wheat, barley, dry beans, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, celery, green peas, squash, collard greens, asparagus, grapefruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tart cherries and nectarines.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): sweet corn.
What livestock does Butte County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 19,927 | 31 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 5,141 | 19* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 3,481 | 3* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 2,115 | 26* | head on farms |
| Goats | 1,062 | 31* | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 482 | 22* | head sold |
| Milk cows | 185 | 19* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 153 | 14* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in California
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Fresno County | $7 billion |
| Tulare County | $6.4 billion |
| Monterey County | $5.5 billion |
| Kern County | $5 billion |
| Merced County | $4 billion |
| Imperial County | $3 billion |
| San Joaquin County | $3 billion |
| Stanislaus County | $2.9 billion |
| Santa Barbara County | $2.6 billion |
| Kings County | $2.1 billion |
| Ventura County | $2.1 billion |
| Madera County | $2 billion |
About this data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only NASS source that covers every county. The Census is taken every five years; the next is for 2027. Values NASS withholds to avoid disclosing individual farms are shown as withheld, never as zero. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.