Vegetables · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Where are chile peppers grown?
New Mexico grows the most chile peppers: 37% of the 23,119 acres harvested in the US in 2022.
Next come California (14%) and Texas (10%).
- US total, 2022 Census
- 23,119 acresacres harvested
- Top state
- New Mexico37% of total
- Farms reporting, 2022
- 12,022in 50 states
- Farm value, 2025
- $107 millionvalue of production
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. State view: 2022 Census of Agriculture. County view: 2022 Census of Agriculture (acres harvested).
Which state grows the most chile peppers?
New Mexico grows the most chile peppers: 37% of the 23,119 acres harvested in the US in 2022. Ranked by the 2022 Census of Agriculture (acres harvested).
All states ranked for chile peppers, with year-by-year leaders →
Which counties grow the most chile peppers?
From the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which reports chile peppers for 1,921 counties. NASS withholds 750 of those county figures to protect individual farms, so a withheld county could be larger than some listed here.
| County | Acres harvested | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Lea County, NM | 3,420 | 15% |
| Luna County, NM | 2,010 | 9% |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 1,592 | 7% |
| Sierra County, NM | 930 | 4% |
| Collier County, FL | 568 | 2% |
| Sandusky County, OH | 423 | 2% |
| Monterey County, CA | 380 | 2% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 322 | 1% |
| Kern County, CA | 318 | 1% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 290 | 1% |
| Fresno County, CA | 282 | 1% |
| Culberson County, TX | 270 | 1% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 265 | 1% |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 145 | under 1% |
| Socorro County, NM | 133 | under 1% |
Chile peppers by the numbers
Each note is calculated from USDA NASS data; the source is listed under it.
How concentrated
The top three states, New Mexico, California and Texas, account for 61% of the acres of chile peppers harvested in the US.
2022 Census of Agriculture
How widespread
Farms in 50 states reported chile peppers in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 12,022 farms in all.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Top county
Lea County, New Mexico has 15% of the acres of chile peppers harvested in the US, more than any other county.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Farm value
NASS puts the value of US chile peppers production in 2025 at $107 million.
NASS annual estimates
Census to Census
Acres of chile peppers harvested in the US fell 46% between the 2002 and 2022 Censuses of Agriculture, from 42,666 acres to 23,119 acres.
Censuses of Agriculture, 2002 to 2022
About this data
State and national figures come from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. County figures and the county map come from the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only source that covers every county. NASS withholds some figures, marked "withheld", to avoid disclosing data for individual farms. NASS reports this crop in hundredweight (100 pounds) or 100-pound barrels; we show pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats. Series: PEPPERS, CHILE - ACRES HARVESTED; PEPPERS, CHILE - PRODUCTION, MEASURED IN CWT. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.