Palo Alto County, Iowa · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Palo Alto County, Iowa grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Palo Alto County, Iowa (58% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 791,666 hogs and 24,105 cattle. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are corn (189,656 acres), soybeans (114,671 acres) and oats (4,173 acres). Its farms sold $783 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 9th of 99 counties in Iowa.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for hogs (9th of 2,372 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $783 million78th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 842360,741 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 42% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 2510 published, 15 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Palo Alto County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Palo Alto 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet corn | 358 acres | 2* | 129* | 12% | acres harvested |
| Oats | 360,506 bushels | 1 | 24* | 11% | production |
| Hogs | 791,666 hogs | 6 | 9* | 3% | head on farms |
| Corn | 36.4 million bushels | 19 | 55 | 1% | production |
| Soybeans | 6.5 million bushels | 33 | 161* | 1% | production |
| Cattle | 24,105 cattle | 52 | 1,085* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Goats | 559 goats | 46 | 1,141* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 10,912 tons | 76 | 2,066* | under 1% | production |
| Honey | 825 pounds | 72* | 1,980* | under 1% | production |
| Chickens | 670 broiler chickens | 35* | 1,021* | under 1% | head sold |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots, green peas, pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, chile peppers, cantaloupe, plums, turkeys, eggs and sheep.
What livestock does Palo Alto County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogs | 791,666 | 6 | head on farms |
| Cattle | 24,105 | 52 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 670 | 35* | head sold |
| Goats | 559 | 46 | 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 |
| Delaware County | $771 million |
| Carroll County | $740 million |
| Wright County | $719 million |
| Osceola County | $700 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.