Lea County, New Mexico · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Lea County, New Mexico grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Lea County, New Mexico (82% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 100,315 cattle and 35,149 milk cows. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (6,627 acres), chile peppers (3,420 acres) and wheat (2,151 acres). Its farms sold $259 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 5th of 31 counties in New Mexico.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for chile peppers (1st of 986 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $259 million612th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 4111,826,208 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 18% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 2216 published, 6 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Lea County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Lea County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in New Mexico 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 NM | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chile peppers | 3,420 acres | 1 | 1 | 40% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 1 acre | 1* | 334* | 20% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 35,149 milk cows | 4 | 47* | 12% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 100,315 cattle | 4 | 122* | 8% | head on farms |
| Wheat | 119,250 bushels | 6* | 1,162* | 5% | production |
| Hay | 32,906 tons | 7 | 994* | 4% | production |
| Goats | 566 goats | 12 | 1,127* | 2% | head on farms |
| Sheep | 1,808 sheep | 9 | 491* | 2% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 74 broiler chickens | 6* | 1,504* | 2% | head sold |
| Eggs | 1,688 laying hens | 10* | 1,283* | 2% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 10 hogs | 26* | 2,328* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Pecans | 248 acres | 4* | 146* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Turkeys | 26 turkeys | 17* | 1,320* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Squash | 1 acre | 11* | 916* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 282 pounds | 18* | 2,179* | under 1% | production |
Show all 16 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NM | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 2.1 million pounds | 1* | 178* | production |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: corn, sorghum, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon and blackberries.
What livestock does Lea County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 100,315 | 4 | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 35,149 | 4 | head on farms |
| Sheep | 1,808 | 9 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 1,688 | 10* | head on farms |
| Goats | 566 | 12 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 74 | 6* | head sold |
| Turkeys | 26 | 17* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 10 | 26* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in New Mexico
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Curry County | $522 million |
| Chaves County | $447 million |
| Roosevelt County | $372 million |
| Doña Ana County | $321 million |
| Luna County | $169 million |
| San Juan County | $127 million |
| Eddy County | $104 million |
| Union County | $86.4 million |
| Colfax County | $58.5 million |
| Socorro County | $57.9 million |
| Quay County | $49 million |
| Torrance County | $45.6 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.