San Luis Obispo County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does San Luis Obispo County, California grow?
Of the crops tracked here, San Luis Obispo County's biggest by acreage are grapes (42,486 acres), hay (15,299 acres) and broccoli (11,987 acres). Its farms sold $1.2 billion of crops and livestock in 2022, 14th of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for carrots (4th of 613 counties), broccoli (4th of 599 counties), Brussels sprouts (4th of 204 counties) and lettuce (5th of 887 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $1.2 billion37th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 2,184921,300 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 96% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 6946 published, 23 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does San Luis Obispo County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does San Luis Obispo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green peas | 487 acres | 2 | 38* | 15% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 11,987 acres | 4 | 4* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 265 acres | 5* | 13* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Avocados | 3,150 acres | 4 | 5* | 7% | bearing acres |
| Cauliflower | 2,803 acres | 4 | 5* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 1,070 acres | 6 | 16* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Carrots | 3,742 acres | 4* | 4* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Brussels sprouts | 870 acres | 4* | 4* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Grapes | 42,486 acres | 9 | 9* | 5% | bearing acres |
| Barley | 75,627 bushels | 7* | 196* | 5% | production |
| Sheep | 23,462 sheep | 4* | 29* | 4% | head on farms |
| Squash | 259 acres | 6* | 46* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Olives | 1,753 acres | 6* | 6* | 4% | bearing acres |
| Green beans | 237 acres | 8* | 84* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Kale | 205 acres | 6* | 11* | 2% | acres harvested |
Show all 46 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | 6,198 acres | 5 | 5* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Celery | 726 acres | 6 | 7* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 963 acres | 9* | 30* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Raspberries | 106 acres | 4* | 9* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Goats | 2,120 goats | 18* | 184* | 2% | head on farms |
| Spinach | 613 acres | 7* | 11* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 45 acres | 16* | 297* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 38,139 cattle | 21 | 682* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 548 hogs | 15* | 847* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Apples | 63 acres | 11* | 247* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Hay | 37,274 tons | 23 | 867* | under 1% | production |
| Tangerines | 255 acres | 8* | 12* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Apricots | 14 acres | 12* | 17* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Oranges | 333 acres | 9* | 30* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Pears | 9 acres | 14* | 94* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Eggs | 9,837 laying hens | 12* | 450* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Artichokes | 3 acres | 7* | 10* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 111 acres | 21* | 68* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 3 acres | 23* | 481* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Figs | 2 acres | 12* | 47* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Peaches | 8 acres | 21* | 251* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Honey | 5,811 pounds | 41* | 1,085* | under 1% | production |
| Honeydew | 1 acre | 18* | 69* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sweet corn | 2 acres | 24* | 1,099* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 2 acres | 25* | 306* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Nectarines | 1 acre | 14* | 48* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Sweet cherries | 2 acres | 20* | 122* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cantaloupe | 1 acre | 31* | 531* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Turkeys | 77 turkeys | 18* | 779* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 2,224 broiler chickens | 11* | 732* | under 1% | head sold |
| Walnuts | 1,860 acres | 13* | 13* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: corn, wheat, oats, chickpeas, hops, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, collard greens, asparagus, watermelon, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, tart cherries, plums, pomegranates, almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts and milk.
What livestock does San Luis Obispo County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 38,139 | 21 | head on farms |
| Sheep | 23,462 | 4* | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 9,837 | 12* | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 2,224 | 11* | head sold |
| Goats | 2,120 | 18* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 548 | 15* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 77 | 18* | 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.