Santa Cruz County, California · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Santa Cruz County, California grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Santa Cruz County's biggest by acreage are lettuce (4,452 acres), apples (2,315 acres) and Brussels sprouts (2,064 acres). Its farms sold $706 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 18th of 56 counties in California.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for Brussels sprouts (2nd of 204 counties), artichokes (2nd of 32 counties), blackberries (2nd of 528 counties) and raspberries (3rd of 362 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $706 million101st of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 61447,871 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 97% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 6342 published, 19 withheld, 2 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Santa Cruz County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Santa Cruz 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackberries | 907 acres | 1* | 2* | 25% | bearing acres |
| Apples | 2,315 acres | 1 | 22* | 24% | bearing acres |
| Raspberries | 889 acres | 2* | 3* | 15% | bearing acres |
| Brussels sprouts | 2,064 acres | 2 | 2* | 14% | acres harvested |
| Strawberries | 1,790 acres | 3* | 4* | 4% | bearing acres |
| Pumpkins | 173 acres | 7* | 88* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Artichokes | 150 acres | 2* | 2* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 182 acres | 9* | 59* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 4,452 acres | 8 | 8* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Kale | 111 acres | 7* | 16* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 1,200 acres | 9* | 10* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Cauliflower | 429 acres | 7 | 9* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Green peas | 29 acres | 6* | 80* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 102 acres | 12* | 32* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 19 acres | 12* | 54* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 42 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey | 110,790 pounds | 25 | 186* | under 1% | production |
| Green beans | 24 acres | 12* | 149* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Carrots | 161 acres | 8* | 24* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 331 goats | 44* | 1,697* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 47 acres | 12* | 381* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Lemons | 115 acres | 8* | 11* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Potatoes | 38 acres | 8* | 135* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Figs | 10 acres | 5* | 9* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Honeydew | 14 acres | 11* | 20* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 342 acres | 18* | 40* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Olives | 45 acres | 23* | 29* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Grapes | 863 acres | 27* | 59* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Sweet potatoes | 23 acres | 5 | 54* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 1 acre | 9* | 211* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Avocados | 33 acres | 11* | 15* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Cucumbers | 5 acres | 18* | 354* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 1,344 bushels | 22* | 2,247* | under 1% | production |
| Sheep | 106 sheep | 49* | 2,342* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 1,019 cattle | 55 | 2,824* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Onions | 9 acres | 15* | 87* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 3 acres | 20* | 222* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 1 acre | 26* | 824* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Nectarines | 1 acre | 14* | 48* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Tangerines | 4 acres | 18* | 64* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Hogs | 3 hogs | 47* | 2,371* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cantaloupe | 1 acre | 31* | 531* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Blueberries | 116 acres | 4* | 62* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: popcorn, hay, spearmint, celery, cabbage, spinach, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, pomegranates, kiwifruit, walnuts, hazelnuts, turkeys, chickens and eggs.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): asparagus and sweet cherries.
What livestock does Santa Cruz 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 |
| 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.