Howard County, Iowa · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Howard County, Iowa grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Howard County, Iowa (55% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 531,959 hogs and 103,673 laying hens. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are corn (137,990 acres), soybeans (84,966 acres) and hay (4,452 acres). Its farms sold $586 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 22nd of 99 counties in Iowa.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $586 million145th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 869296,769 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 45% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 3521 published, 14 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Howard County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Howard County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in Iowa 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 IA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantaloupe | 13 acres | 3* | 141* | 9% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 58 acres | 2* | 241* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 10 acres | 2* | 341* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 71,870 pounds | 2* | 237* | 3% | production |
| Hogs | 531,959 hogs | 12 | 18* | 2% | head on farms |
| Raspberries | 1 acre | 6* | 290* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Oats | 41,427 bushels | 24* | 321* | 1% | production |
| Milk | 2,982 milk cows | 15* | 384* | 1% | head on farms |
| Corn | 29.3 million bushels | 43 | 112 | 1% | production |
| Goats | 988 goats | 22 | 604* | 1% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 33,433 cattle | 30 | 806* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Soybeans | 5.1 million bushels | 52 | 282* | under 1% | production |
| Sheep | 1,364 sheep | 44* | 657* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Tomatoes | 1 acre | 27* | 1,363* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 2 acres | 6* | 640* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 21 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of IA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hay | 11,980 tons | 69 | 1,985* | under 1% | production |
| Wheat | 2,300 bushels | 38* | 1,875* | under 1% | production |
| Eggs | 103,673 laying hens | 12* | 246* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 12,115 broiler chickens | 8* | 549* | under 1% | head sold |
| Maple syrup | 5 gallons | 11* | 450* | under 1% | production |
| Turkeys | 91 turkeys | 17* | 703* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: dry beans, potatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, cabbage, apples, grapes, strawberries and walnuts.
What livestock does Howard County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogs | 531,959 | 12 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 103,673 | 12* | head on farms |
| Cattle | 33,433 | 30 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 12,115 | 8* | head sold |
| Milk cows | 2,982 | 15* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 1,364 | 44* | head on farms |
| Goats | 988 | 22 | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 91 | 17* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in Iowa
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Sioux County | $2.3 billion |
| Lyon County | $1.3 billion |
| Plymouth County | $1.1 billion |
| Washington County | $953 million |
| Kossuth County | $925 million |
| Buena Vista County | $869 million |
| Hardin County | $806 million |
| Hamilton County | $794 million |
| Palo Alto County | $783 million |
| Delaware County | $771 million |
| Carroll County | $740 million |
| Wright County | $719 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.