Sussex County, Delaware · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Sussex County, Delaware grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Sussex County, Delaware (83% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 3,415 cattle, and sold 176,369,472 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are corn (95,409 acres), soybeans (79,848 acres) and wheat (21,118 acres). Its farms sold $1.4 billion of crops and livestock in 2022, 1st of 3 counties in Delaware.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for chickens (1st of 1,603 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $1.4 billion27th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 1,053262,079 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 17% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5430 published, 22 withheld, 2 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Sussex County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Sussex County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in Delaware 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 DE | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantaloupe | 71 acres | 1 | 32* | 100% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 229 acres | 1 | 28* | 99% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 43 acres | 1 | 37* | 96% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 89 acres | 1 | 93* | 94% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 64 acres | 1 | 93* | 74% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 176 million broiler chickens | 1 | 1 | 73% | head sold |
| Hogs | 1,762 hogs | 1 | 629* | 60% | head on farms |
| Blueberries | 15 acres | 1 | 236* | 54% | bearing acres |
| Green beans | 646 acres | 1 | 55* | 51% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 16.2 million bushels | 1 | 273 | 50% | production |
| Milk | 1,076 milk cows | 1 | 579* | 43% | head on farms |
| Soybeans | 3.3 million bushels | 2 | 490* | 43% | production |
| Wheat | 1.6 million bushels | 1 | 262 | 42% | production |
| Sweet corn | 3,573 acres | 2 | 28* | 41% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 416 goats | 2 | 1,473* | 40% | head on farms |
Show all 30 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of DE | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorghum | 57,731 bushels | 2 | 291* | 39% | production |
| Barley | 459,059 bushels | 1 | 80* | 37% | production |
| Cattle | 3,415 cattle | 2 | 2,496* | 34% | head on farms |
| Garlic | 1 acre | 1* | 425* | 33% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 196 acres | 1* | 73* | 27% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 3,430 pounds | 3 | 1,376* | 23% | production |
| Hay | 3,285 tons | 3 | 2,683* | 18% | production |
| Sheep | 153 sheep | 3 | 2,201* | 12% | head on farms |
| Broccoli | 1 acre | 2 | 334* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 3 acres | 1* | 612* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 3 acres | 1* | 229* | acres harvested | |
| Asparagus | 2 acres | 1* | 212* | acres harvested | |
| Apples | 277 acres | 1* | 85* | bearing acres | |
| Strawberries | 6 acres | 1* | 204* | bearing acres | |
| Eggs | 1,778 laying hens | 2* | 1,259* | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: sweet potatoes, lettuce, onions, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, watermelon, honeydew, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, peaches, pears, plums, figs and turkeys.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): collard greens and hazelnuts.
What livestock does Sussex County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 176,369,472 | 1 | head sold |
| Cattle | 3,415 | 2 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 1,778 | 2* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 1,762 | 1 | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 1,076 | 1 | head on farms |
| Goats | 416 | 2 | head on farms |
| Sheep | 153 | 3 | head on farms |
Other farm counties in Delaware
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Kent County | $571 million |
| New Castle County | $109 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.