Polk County, Iowa · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Polk County, Iowa grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Polk County's biggest by acreage are corn (78,694 acres), soybeans (68,311 acres) and hay (5,381 acres). Its farms sold $161 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 87th of 99 counties in Iowa.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $161 million1008th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 768179,322 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 95% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4829 published, 17 withheld, 2 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Polk County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackberries | 1 acre | 2* | 418* | 6% | bearing acres |
| Grapes | 28 acres | 4* | 291* | 4% | bearing acres |
| Bell peppers | 3 acres | 6* | 402* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 65,389 pounds | 3* | 246* | 3% | production |
| Garlic | 1 acre | 5* | 425* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 4 acres | 12* | 828* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 7 acres | 4* | 424* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 19 acres | 10* | 510* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 1 acre | 10* | 544* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Asparagus | 1 acre | 6* | 275* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 2,011 sheep | 21 | 427* | 1% | head on farms |
| Cucumbers | 1 acre | 13* | 834* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 1 acre | 8* | 440* | 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 4 acres | 2* | 445* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Apples | 9 acres | 11* | 556* | under 1% | bearing acres |
Show all 29 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of IA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goats | 820 goats | 27 | 757* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cantaloupe | 1 acre | 9* | 531* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 3.7 million bushels | 78 | 433* | under 1% | production |
| Corn | 14.8 million bushels | 79 | 322 | under 1% | production |
| Hay | 9,903 tons | 78 | 2,138* | under 1% | production |
| Watermelon | 1 acre | 13* | 824* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 6,089 cattle | 92 | 2,193* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Oats | 3,450 bushels | 78* | 816* | under 1% | production |
| Green peas | 1 acre | 3* | 286* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 3,049 laying hens | 24* | 888* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 853 broiler chickens | 29* | 968* | under 1% | head sold |
| Turkeys | 126 turkeys | 14* | 563* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sweet potatoes | 1 acre | 1* | 215* | acres harvested | |
| Blueberries | 1 acre | 2* | 602* | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, sweet corn, cabbage, kale, honeydew, raspberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, peaches, pears, apricots, walnuts, milk, hogs and maple syrup.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): carrots and spinach.
What livestock does Polk County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 6,089 | 92 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 3,049 | 24* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 2,011 | 21 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 853 | 29* | head sold |
| Goats | 820 | 27 | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 126 | 14* | 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.