Otero County, Colorado · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Otero County, Colorado grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Otero County, Colorado (66% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 52,853 cattle. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (26,189 acres), corn (3,908 acres) and sorghum (1,383 acres). Its farms sold $133 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 12th of 60 counties in Colorado.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $133 million1181st of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 397529,274 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 34% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 2821 published, 7 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Otero County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Otero County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in Colorado 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 CO | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantaloupe | 357 acres | 1 | 13* | 76% | acres harvested |
| Honeydew | 63 acres | 1 | 11* | 70% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 445 acres | 1 | 55* | 51% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 612 acres | 2 | 19* | 20% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 62 acres | 3* | 32* | 11% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 25 acres | 3* | 193* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 6 acres | 4* | 304* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 177 acres | 3 | 46* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 5 acres | 2* | 283* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Hay | 85,971 tons | 10 | 231* | 3% | production |
| Goats | 865 goats | 17 | 703* | 2% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 52,853 cattle | 10 | 436* | 2% | head on farms |
| Garlic | 1 acre | 12* | 425* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 668 acres | 2* | 78* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 3 acres | 10* | 638* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 21 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of CO | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | 694,919 bushels | 15 | 1,388* | under 1% | production |
| Sorghum | 49,645 bushels | 15* | 309* | under 1% | production |
| Wheat | 18,400 bushels | 29* | 1,696* | under 1% | production |
| Eggs | 535 laying hens | 35* | 2,091* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 97 hogs | 19* | 1,681* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Milk | 36 milk cows | 12* | 1,067* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: oats, dry beans, apples, plums, chickens, sheep and honey.
What livestock does Otero County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 52,853 | 10 | head on farms |
| Goats | 865 | 17 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 535 | 35* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 97 | 19* | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 36 | 12* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in Colorado
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Weld County | $2.4 billion |
| Yuma County | $1.1 billion |
| Morgan County | $766 million |
| Kit Carson County | $765 million |
| Logan County | $733 million |
| Prowers County | $430 million |
| Larimer County | $271 million |
| Washington County | $242 million |
| Phillips County | $237 million |
| Saguache County | $158 million |
| Rio Grande County | $151 million |
| Baca County | $131 million |
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.