Farm Census

McHenry County, Illinois

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

828 farms184,403 acres in farms$244 million in farm sales

McHenry County's largest product group with a published figure, grains and oilseeds, makes up 59.9% of farm sales, against 81.6% across Illinois.

Its farms account for 0.9% of all farm sales in Illinois, the 49th-largest share among the state's 102 counties.

Grains and oilseeds: 59.9%Grains and oilseeds59.9%Nursery and greenhouse: 18.7%18.7%Vegetables and melons: 5.3%5.3%Milk: 5.3%Milk5.3%Cattle and calves: 3.1%3.1%Hogs and pigs: 2.2%2.2%Fruit and nuts: 2.1%2.1%Hay and other crops: 1.0%1.0%Horses and mules: 0.7%0.7%Withheld groups: 0.7%0.7%Other animals: 0.4%0.4%Christmas trees: 0.4%0.4%Sheep and goats: 0.3%Grains and oilseeds: 59.9%Grains and oilseeds59.9%Nursery and greenhouse: 18.7%18.7%Vegetables and melons: 5.3%5.3%Milk: 5.3%Milk5.3%Cattle and calves: 3.1%3.1%Hogs and pigs: 2.2%2.2%Fruit and nuts: 2.1%2.1%Hay and other crops: 1.0%1.0%Horses and mules: 0.7%Withheld groups: 0.7%Other animals: 0.4%Christmas trees: 0.4%Sheep and goats: 0.3%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: poultry and eggs and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$146 million67th of 100
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$45.6 million2nd of 48
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$13.0 million3rd of 66
Milk from cows$12.8 million5th of 30
Cattle and calves$7.5 million28th of 81
Hogs and pigs$5.3 million58th of 73
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$5.1 million1st of 52
Hay and other crops$2.4 million6th of 83
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.8 million2nd of 61
Other animals and animal products$1.1 million2nd of 67
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$994,0001st of 15
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$672,0003rd of 78

What the fields held

McHenry County harvested 157,792 acres of cropland in 2022, 68th of 102 counties in Illinois. Corn for grain covered acreage equal to 48% of that, soybeans 40%.

CropAcresShare of US
Corn for grain76,3220.09%
Soybeans62,5920.07%
Hay and haylage8,485under 0.1%
Wheat3,832under 0.1%
Vegetables1,953under 0.1%
of which potatoes10under 0.1%
Corn for silage1,392under 0.1%
Orchard land268under 0.1%
of which grapes45under 0.1%
of which apples202under 0.1%
Berries117under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: oats and pecans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms47.8%

McHenry County ranks 93rd of 102 counties in Illinois on this measure.

  • 165,895 acres of cropland, 90% of farmland
  • 10,634 acres of pastureland, 6% of farmland
  • 3,050 acres of woodland, 2% of farmland
  • 9,037 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in McHenry County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 20 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 223 acres, 97th-largest of 101 in Illinois. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 37.1% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 5.8% of the total.

1–926%10–4937%50–17918%180–4997%500–9996%1,000–1,9993%2,000+3%
McHenry County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies1,8540.08%
Goats1,8410.07%
Milk cows2,354under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs14,918under 0.1%
Cattle and calves10,285under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs539under 0.1%
Beef cows1,827under 0.1%
Laying hens8,311under 0.1%
Turkeys430under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20227,645under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on McHenry County's 828 farms are made by 1,542 producers. Their average age is 58.2, 0.4 years below the Illinois average. Women are 37.6% of them.

Under 358%35–4413%45–5415%55–6427%65–7425%75+12%
McHenry County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms881−6.0%
Land in farms, acres208,339−11.5%
Average farm size, acres236−5.5%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$164 million+49.2%
Corn for grain, acres92,962−17.9%
Horses and ponies, head2,046−9.4%
Soybeans, acres67,086−6.7%
Goats, head2,245−18.0%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

McHenry County accounts for 1.2% of the farms in Illinois. Rank Illinois counties for corn for grain.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.