Monterey County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Monterey County, California grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Monterey County's biggest by acreage are lettuce (178,744 acres), grapes (51,228 acres) and broccoli (50,794 acres). Its farms sold $5.5 billion of crops and livestock in 2022, 3rd of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for lettuce (1st of 887 counties), broccoli (1st of 599 counties), cauliflower (1st of 336 counties) and celery (1st of 149 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $5.5 billion3rd of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 1,0571,338,477 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- over 99% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5641 published, 15 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Monterey County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Monterey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | 3,870 acres | 1 | 1* | 78% | acres harvested |
| Green peas | 2,254 acres | 1 | 14* | 68% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 178,744 acres | 1 | 1* | 65% | acres harvested |
| Spinach | 31,769 acres | 1 | 1* | 58% | acres harvested |
| Brussels sprouts | 8,368 acres | 1 | 1* | 57% | acres harvested |
| Cauliflower | 20,462 acres | 1 | 1* | 50% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 50,794 acres | 1 | 1* | 44% | acres harvested |
| Celery | 13,686 acres | 1 | 1* | 38% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 2,692 acres | 1 | 15* | 35% | acres harvested |
| Strawberries | 13,347 acres | 1* | 1* | 29% | bearing acres |
| Cabbage | 4,427 acres | 1 | 1* | 26% | acres harvested |
| Kale | 1,836 acres | 2 | 2 | 21% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 380 acres | 1* | 7* | 12% | acres harvested |
| Blackberries | 376 acres | 2* | 6* | 10% | bearing acres |
| Pumpkins | 362 acres | 2 | 30* | 7% | acres harvested |
Show all 41 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garlic | 2,003 acres | 2 | 2* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Grapes | 51,228 acres | 7 | 7* | 6% | bearing acres |
| Carrots | 2,902 acres | 5* | 5* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 485 acres | 7* | 17* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 2,153 acres | 5* | 15* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Raspberries | 195 acres | 3* | 7* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Barley | 39,986 bushels | 10* | 246* | 2% | production |
| Squash | 79 acres | 16* | 101* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 3,067 acres | 11 | 13* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 64,568 bushels | 12* | 1,967* | 1% | production |
| Cattle | 50,420 cattle | 17 | 475* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 172 acres | 10 | 206* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 707 goats | 36* | 908* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Olives | 187 acres | 15* | 16* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Avocados | 140 acres | 8* | 10* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Hogs | 210 hogs | 31* | 1,239* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Apples | 16 acres | 19* | 463* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Sheep | 872 sheep | 35* | 1,047* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 9,958 tons | 34* | 2,131* | under 1% | production |
| Potatoes | 16 acres | 9* | 214* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 4,708 laying hens | 21* | 651* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Pears | 3 acres | 18* | 224* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Honey | 9,620 pounds | 39* | 818* | under 1% | production |
| Turkeys | 266 turkeys | 11* | 338* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 1,175 broiler chickens | 15* | 879* | under 1% | head sold |
| Walnuts | 5 acres | 20* | 40* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: wheat, dry beans, cucumbers, collard greens, asparagus, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, lemons, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots, almonds and milk.
What livestock does Monterey County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 50,420 | 17 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 4,708 | 21* | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 1,175 | 15* | head sold |
| Sheep | 872 | 35* | head on farms |
| Goats | 707 | 36* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 266 | 11* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 210 | 31* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in California
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Fresno County | $7 billion |
| Tulare County | $6.4 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 |
| 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.