Union County, Illinois · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Union County, Illinois grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Union County's biggest by acreage are soybeans (42,792 acres), corn (12,634 acres) and hay (11,904 acres). Its farms sold $54.6 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 93rd of 102 counties in Illinois.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $54.6 million1890th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 601140,501 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 94% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4520 published, 22 withheld, 3 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Union County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Union 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.
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of IL | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumbers | 58 acres | 1 | 68* | 28% | acres harvested |
| Sweet cherries | 1 acre | 2* | 145* | 17% | bearing acres |
| Figs | 1 acre | 1* | 78* | 11% | bearing acres |
| Tomatoes | 19 acres | 6* | 245* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 8 acres | 4* | 212* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Pecans | 10 acres | 2* | 334* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Hay | 25,085 tons | 11 | 1,269* | 2% | production |
| Cantaloupe | 3 acres | 7* | 348* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 8,382 cattle | 40 | 1,956* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Wheat | 173,709 bushels | 56 | 1,008* | under 1% | production |
| Soybeans | 2.1 million bushels | 91 | 671* | under 1% | production |
| Honey | 2,576 pounds | 59* | 1,520* | under 1% | production |
| Cabbage | 1 acre | 7* | 416* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 38 acres | 24* | 336* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 53 goats | 89* | 2,681* | under 1% | head on farms |
Show all 20 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of IL | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | 7 acres | 5* | 394* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 2.1 million bushels | 95 | 1,040* | under 1% | production |
| Sheep | 41 sheep | 90* | 2,538* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Eggs | 1,214 laying hens | 40* | 1,561* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 329 hogs | 67* | 1,034* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: rice, hops, sweet potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, sweet corn, green beans, squash, chile peppers, Brussels sprouts, kale, asparagus, watermelon, apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, plums and turkeys.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): blackberries, nectarines and apricots.
What livestock does Union County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 8,382 | 40 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 1,214 | 40* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 329 | 67* | head on farms |
| Goats | 53 | 89* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 41 | 90* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in Illinois
| County | Farm 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 |
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.