Merced County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Merced County, California grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Merced County, California (59% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 3,410,713 laying hens and 593,108 cattle. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are almonds (141,467 acres), hay (80,298 acres) and tomatoes (34,369 acres). Its farms sold $4 billion of crops and livestock in 2022, 5th of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for sweet potatoes (1st of 355 counties), milk (2nd of 1,509 counties), tomatoes (3rd of 1,657 counties) and cantaloupe (3rd of 717 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $4 billion5th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 2,047872,326 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 41% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 6536 published, 29 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Merced County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Merced 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potatoes | 20,643 acres | 1 | 1* | 86% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 3.4 million laying hens | 1 | 11* | 25% | head on farms |
| Oats | 80,472 bushels | 1 | 176* | 25% | production |
| Milk | 288,973 milk cows | 2 | 2 | 17% | head on farms |
| Tomatoes | 34,369 acres | 3 | 3 | 14% | acres harvested |
| Cantaloupe | 3,504 acres | 3 | 3* | 13% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 593,108 cattle | 2 | 3 | 11% | head on farms |
| Almonds | 141,467 acres | 4 | 4* | 10% | bearing acres |
| Corn | 567,214 bushels | 3 | 1,453* | 9% | production |
| Goats | 10,769 goats | 1* | 17* | 8% | head on farms |
| Honey | 2.2 million pounds | 5 | 10* | 8% | production |
| Peaches | 2,912 acres | 4 | 4* | 8% | bearing acres |
| Hay | 393,931 tons | 5 | 10 | 5% | production |
| Garlic | 1,268 acres | 5 | 5* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Apricots | 228 acres | 6 | 7* | 4% | bearing acres |
Show all 36 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 67,610 bushels | 8* | 201* | 4% | production |
| Pistachios | 14,998 acres | 5* | 5* | 4% | bearing acres |
| Bell peppers | 424 acres | 8* | 20* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 18,316 sheep | 6* | 42* | 3% | head on farms |
| Wheat | 336,917 bushels | 11 | 732* | 3% | production |
| Onions | 1,375 acres | 7* | 24* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Plums | 1,150 acres | 8* | 8* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Sweet cherries | 836 acres | 9 | 22* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Grapes | 12,890 acres | 15 | 19* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Honeydew | 75 acres | 7* | 10* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Nectarines | 100 acres | 3* | 5* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cucumbers | 17 acres | 10* | 134* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 7 acres | 17* | 124* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 309 acres | 13 | 18* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Rice | 2.4 million pounds | 10* | 96* | under 1% | production |
| Green beans | 2 acres | 18* | 640* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Kale | 2 acres | 24* | 197* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 14 hogs | 44* | 2,290* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 3 acres | 21* | 1,019* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 7 acres | 19* | 95* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Walnuts | 11,359 acres | 11* | 11* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: peanuts, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green peas, pumpkins, squash, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, watermelon, apples, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pears, avocados, olives, figs, pomegranates, pecans, hazelnuts, turkeys and chickens.
What livestock does Merced County raise?
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 |
| 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 |
| Riverside County | $1.3 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.