Field crops · NASS annual estimates, 2025
Where are sunflowers grown?
North Dakota grows the most sunflowers: 47% of the 2.3 billion pounds grown in the US in 2025.
Next come South Dakota (37%) and Minnesota (8%).
- US total, 2025
- 2.3 billion poundsNASS estimate
- Top state
- North Dakota47% of total
- Farms reporting, 2022
- 3,623in 45 states
- Farm value, 2025
- $517 millionvalue of production
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. State view: NASS annual estimates, 2025. County view: 2022 Census of Agriculture (production). Sunflowers grown for seed and oil.
Which state grows the most sunflowers?
North Dakota grows the most sunflowers: 47% of the 2.3 billion pounds grown in the US in 2025. Ranked by NASS's 2025 estimate.
All states ranked for sunflowers, with year-by-year leaders →
Which counties grow the most sunflowers?
From the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which reports sunflowers for 577 counties. NASS withholds 350 of those county figures to protect individual farms, so a withheld county could be larger than some listed here.
| County | Pounds | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Sully County, SD | 181,903,451 | 6% |
| Emmons County, ND | 134,297,161 | 5% |
| Morton County, ND | 84,348,754 | 3% |
| Potter County, SD | 80,877,793 | 3% |
| Adams County, ND | 78,812,501 | 3% |
| Corson County, SD | 76,696,821 | 3% |
| Hughes County, SD | 75,310,762 | 3% |
| Lyman County, SD | 73,556,466 | 3% |
| Cass County, ND | 71,188,084 | 3% |
| Grant County, ND | 70,556,141 | 3% |
| Haakon County, SD | 67,559,708 | 2% |
| Stark County, ND | 67,154,005 | 2% |
| Hyde County, SD | 57,079,245 | 2% |
| Walsh County, ND | 48,561,355 | 2% |
| Burleigh County, ND | 47,094,795 | 2% |
How has US production of sunflowers changed?
NASS annual estimates, 2016 to 2025.
When are sunflowers harvested?
In 2024, the US harvest of sunflowers was 10% done by the week ending October 13, half done by November 3 and 90% done by November 24.
NASS Crop Progress, 2024, from weekly US crop progress reports. Timing varies by state and year.
Sunflowers by the numbers
Each note is calculated from USDA NASS data; the source is listed under it.
How concentrated
The top three states, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, account for 92% of the sunflowers grown in the US.
NASS annual estimates, 2025
How widespread
Farms in 45 states reported sunflowers in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 3,623 farms in all.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Top county
Sully County, South Dakota has 6% of the sunflowers grown in the US, the most of any county with a published figure.
2022 Census of Agriculture
Biggest year
The biggest year in NASS estimates since 2016 was 2020, at 3 billion pounds.
NASS annual estimates
Farm value
NASS puts the value of US sunflowers production in 2025 at $517 million.
NASS annual estimates
Census to Census
US production of sunflowers fell 13% between the 1997 and 2022 Censuses of Agriculture, from 3.2 billion pounds to 2.8 billion pounds.
Censuses of Agriculture, 1997 to 2022
About this data
Sunflowers grown for seed and oil.
State and national figures come from NASS's annual estimates (final 2025 figures; in-season forecasts are not used). 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.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats. Series: SUNFLOWER - PRODUCTION, MEASURED IN LB; SUNFLOWER - PRODUCTION, MEASURED IN LB. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.