San Benito County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does San Benito County, California grow?
Of the crops tracked here, San Benito County's biggest by acreage are lettuce (11,831 acres), hay (6,207 acres) and spinach (2,713 acres). Its farms sold $353 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 27th of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for kale (3rd of 632 counties), lettuce (4th of 887 counties), spinach (4th of 465 counties) and apricots (5th of 77 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $353 million390th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 539544,537 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 88% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5732 published, 25 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does San Benito County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does San Benito 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kale | 1,338 acres | 3 | 3* | 15% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 1,651 acres | 5 | 12* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Apricots | 346 acres | 4 | 5* | 6% | bearing acres |
| Spinach | 2,713 acres | 3 | 4* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 11,831 acres | 4 | 4* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 248 acres | 7* | 48* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 1,028 acres | 7* | 7* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 253 acres | 7* | 83* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 383 acres | 9* | 21* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Apples | 199 acres | 8* | 113* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Broccoli | 2,279 acres | 7 | 7* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Cauliflower | 797 acres | 6 | 8* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Celery | 509 acres | 8* | 10* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 1,373 goats | 25* | 378* | 1% | head on farms |
| Collard greens | 13 acres | 3* | 41* | 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 32 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 444 acres | 7* | 17* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 3,661 sheep | 20* | 211* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 25,449 cattle | 27 | 1,043* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Tomatoes | 940 acres | 16* | 28* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 133 acres | 10* | 49* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Brussels sprouts | 33 acres | 6* | 8* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 16 acres | 12* | 143* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hay | 14,227 tons | 30* | 1,821* | under 1% | production |
| Sweet cherries | 44 acres | 13* | 48* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Avocados | 33 acres | 11* | 15* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Eggs | 5,627 laying hens | 15* | 582* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Pumpkins | 2 acres | 34* | 954* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 2,464 bushels | 20* | 2,226* | under 1% | production |
| Lemons | 7 acres | 13* | 24* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cantaloupe | 3 acres | 23* | 348* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 28,815 broiler chickens | 6* | 510* | under 1% | head sold |
| Honey | 224 pounds | 50* | 2,202* | under 1% | production |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: barley, potatoes, sweet corn, chile peppers, artichokes, watermelon, honeydew, oranges, tangerines, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, olives, figs, pomegranates, kiwifruit, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, turkeys and hogs.
What livestock does San Benito County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 28,815 | 6* | head sold |
| Cattle | 25,449 | 27 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 5,627 | 15* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 3,661 | 20* | head on farms |
| Goats | 1,373 | 25* | 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.