Grown Where

Mercer County, Illinois · 2022 Census of Agriculture

What does Mercer County, Illinois grow?

Of the crops tracked here, Mercer County's biggest by acreage are corn (114,380 acres), soybeans (85,579 acres) and hay (4,042 acres). Its farms sold $357 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 27th of 102 counties in Illinois.

Farm sales, 2022
$357 million381st of 3,050 US counties
Farms
690251,455 acres of farmland
Crops vs. livestock
63% cropsshare of farm sales
Items reported
4013 published, 27 withheld
Value of crops and livestock sold by county, 2022 Census of Agriculture
Under $1.5M$1.5M to $6.2M$6.2M to $23M$23M to $77M$77M to $230M$230M+
Mercer County
$357 million
1% of Illinois farm sales. No. 27 of 102 counties reporting.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.

What does Mercer County grow the most of?

Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.

  1. 1Corn32nd in Illinois114,380 acres
  2. 2Soybeans51st in Illinois85,579 acres
  3. 3Hay43rd in Illinois4,042 acres
  4. 4Wheat94th in Illinois*151 acres
  5. 5Oats17th in Illinois*125 acres

How does Mercer County rank?

Each item's rank among counties in Illinois 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.

Mercer County rankings, 2022 Census of Agriculture
ItemAmountState rankUS rankShare of ILMeasure
Hogs323,916 hogs1*43*6%head on farms
Sheep1,292 sheep10*695*3%head on farms
Oats11,512 bushels17*631*1%production
Corn25.4 million bushels321441%production
Goats325 goats33*1,716*1%head on farms
Hay12,294 tons431,965*under 1%production
Soybeans5.4 million bushels51244*under 1%production
Cattle6,209 cattle562,175*under 1%head on farms
Honey4,438 pounds39*1,244*under 1%production
Wheat14,245 bushels94*1,739*under 1%production
Milk10 milk cows45*1,308*under 1%head on farms
Eggs541 laying hens69*2,087*under 1%head on farms
Turkeys49 turkeys20*1,017*under 1%head on farms

Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, carrots, broccoli, celery, sweet corn, green beans, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, chile peppers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, collard greens, garlic, asparagus, watermelon, apples, strawberries, tart cherries, peaches and chickens.

What livestock does Mercer County raise?

Mercer County livestock and poultry, 2022 Census of Agriculture
AnimalHeadState rankMeasure
Hogs323,9161*head on farms
Cattle6,20956head on farms
Sheep1,29210*head on farms
Laying hens54169*head on farms
Goats32533*head on farms
Turkeys4920*head on farms
Milk cows1045*head on farms

Other farm counties in Illinois

Top Illinois counties by farm sales, 2022
CountyFarm sales
Iroquois County$772 million
McLean County$721 million
Livingston County$713 million
LaSalle County$614 million
Champaign County$583 million
Bureau County$565 million
DeKalb County$544 million
Sangamon County$521 million
Henry County$508 million
Ogle County$477 million
Knox County$460 million
Whiteside County$453 million

What does Illinois grow? State overview and county map →

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.