Essex County, Massachusetts · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Essex County, Massachusetts grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Essex County's biggest by acreage is hay (2,549 acres). Its farms sold $36.7 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 8th of 14 counties in Massachusetts.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $36.7 million2148th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 44118,490 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 77% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5847 published, 11 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Essex County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Essex County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in Massachusetts 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 MA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds | 2 acres | 1 | 26* | 100% | bearing acres |
| Carrots | 85 acres | 1 | 27* | 34% | acres harvested |
| Honeydew | 2 acres | 1 | 47* | 33% | acres harvested |
| Raspberries | 20 acres | 2 | 29* | 19% | bearing acres |
| Strawberries | 40 acres | 1* | 47* | 16% | bearing acres |
| Green beans | 46 acres | 4 | 116* | 14% | acres harvested |
| Brussels sprouts | 4 acres | 2 | 37* | 13% | acres harvested |
| Blueberries | 73 acres | 2* | 77* | 13% | bearing acres |
| Apples | 366 acres | 3 | 71* | 11% | bearing acres |
| Peaches | 55 acres | 4 | 94* | 11% | bearing acres |
| Cantaloupe | 7 acres | 4 | 226* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 26 acres | 3 | 93* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 27 acres | 3 | 87* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Lettuce | 50 acres | 5 | 37* | 10% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 13 acres | 4 | 47* | 9% | acres harvested |
Show all 47 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of MA | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pears | 11 acres | 5 | 77* | 9% | bearing acres |
| Turkeys | 1,124 turkeys | 3 | 175* | 9% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 319 acres | 7 | 139* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Green peas | 7 acres | 4 | 119* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 557 goats | 5 | 1,143* | 8% | head on farms |
| Celery | 2 acres | 3 | 34* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 38 acres | 5 | 135* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Sweet potatoes | 4 acres | 6 | 119* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Blackberries | 2 acres | 3* | 340* | 7% | bearing acres |
| Cabbage | 9 acres | 6 | 111* | 7% | acres harvested |
| Onions | 8 acres | 5 | 96* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 624 milk cows | 6* | 670* | 6% | head on farms |
| Watermelon | 5 acres | 6 | 479* | 6% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 1,835 cattle | 7 | 2,694* | 6% | head on farms |
| Kale | 8 acres | 6 | 70* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 11 acres | 6 | 69* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Asparagus | 10 acres | 4 | 55* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Sheep | 558 sheep | 9 | 1,371* | 5% | head on farms |
| Dry beans | 2,400 pounds | 3* | 185* | 4% | production |
| Cauliflower | 4 acres | 6 | 88* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 61 acres | 9 | 234* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 18,830 pounds | 8 | 537* | 4% | production |
| Hay | 3,143 tons | 8 | 2,695* | 4% | production |
| Spinach | 5 acres | 6 | 66* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 2 acres | 6* | 151* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 5,742 laying hens | 7 | 576* | 3% | head on farms |
| Squash | 56 acres | 8 | 128* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 8 acres | 5* | 109* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 16 acres | 5 | 214* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 28 hogs | 11 | 2,155* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 341 broiler chickens | 10* | 1,204* | under 1% | head sold |
| Maple syrup | 54 gallons | 7* | 367* | under 1% | production |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: corn, wheat, sunflowers, grapes, cranberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, nectarines, plums, apricots and walnuts.
What livestock does Essex County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laying hens | 5,742 | 7 | head on farms |
| Cattle | 1,835 | 7 | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 1,124 | 3 | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 624 | 6* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 558 | 9 | head on farms |
| Goats | 557 | 5 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 341 | 10* | head sold |
| Hogs | 28 | 11 | head on farms |
Other farm counties in Massachusetts
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Plymouth County | $90.2 million |
| Middlesex County | $87.9 million |
| Worcester County | $87.1 million |
| Franklin County | $76.4 million |
| Hampshire County | $58.8 million |
| Bristol County | $46.2 million |
| Barnstable County | $40.1 million |
| Berkshire County | $36 million |
| Hampden County | $26.6 million |
| Norfolk County | $12.8 million |
What does Massachusetts 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.