Farm Census

Fayette County, Kentucky

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

682 farms124,247 acres in farms$333 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Fayette County leads the country in sales of horses and mules and sales of other animal products and ranks fourth for horses and ponies.

Its largest product group with a published figure, horses and mules, makes up 75.0% of farm sales, against 9.2% across Kentucky.

Horses and mules: 75.0%Horses and mules75.0%Other animals: 18.7%Other animals18.7%Cattle and calves: 2.0%2.0%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.6%1.6%Grains and oilseeds: 1.1%1.1%Hay and other crops: 0.7%0.7%Tobacco: 0.4%Vegetables and melons: 0.2%Poultry and eggs: under 0.1%Aquaculture: under 0.1%Horses and mules: 75.0%Horses and mules75.0%Other animals: 18.7%Other animals18.7%Cattle and calves: 2.0%2.0%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.6%Grains and oilseeds: 1.1%Hay and other crops: 0.7%Tobacco: 0.4%Vegetables and melons: 0.2%Poultry and eggs: under 0.1%Aquaculture: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: fruit and nuts, Christmas trees, hogs and pigs and sheep and goat products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$250 million1st of 95
Other animals and animal products$62.4 million1st of 70
Cattle and calves$6.5 million49th of 113
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$5.3 million3rd of 76
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$3.8 million72nd of 105
Hay and other crops$2.2 million51st of 115
Tobacco$1.4 million35th of 60
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$831,00016th of 98
Poultry and eggs$61,00071st of 100
Aquaculture$2,0001st of 1

What the fields held

Fayette County harvested 23,266 acres of cropland in 2022, 70th of 116 counties in Kentucky. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 75% of that, soybeans 12%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage17,510under 0.1%
Soybeans2,824under 0.1%
Corn for grain1,754under 0.1%
Wheat605under 0.1%
Tobacco3670.18%
Corn for silage129under 0.1%
Vegetables103under 0.1%
of which potatoes6under 0.1%
Orchard land59under 0.1%
of which almonds3under 0.1%
of which grapes24under 0.1%
of which apples16under 0.1%
Berries17under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: pecans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms68.4%

Fayette County ranks 33rd of 120 counties in Kentucky on this measure.

  • 34,319 acres of cropland, 28% of farmland
  • 74,594 acres of pastureland, 60% of farmland
  • 8,405 acres of woodland, 7% of farmland
  • 571 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Fayette County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 47 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 182 acres, 39th-largest of 110 in Kentucky. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 40.2% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 2.8% of the total.

1–911%10–4940%50–17927%180–49912%500–9997%1,000–1,9992%2,000+1%
Fayette County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies15,6460.65%
Beef cows5,045under 0.1%
Cattle and calves12,340under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs513under 0.1%
Goats127under 0.1%
Laying hens2,042under 0.1%
Milk cows11under 0.1%
Turkeys4under 0.1%

Withheld: hogs and pigs and broilers sold.

Who farms here

Decisions on Fayette County's 682 farms are made by 1,232 producers. Their average age is 57.4, 0.3 years above the Kentucky average. Women are 41.5% of them.

Under 359%35–4415%45–5417%55–6423%65–7423%75+13%
Fayette County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms622+9.6%
Land in farms, acres114,624+8.4%
Average farm size, acres184−1.1%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$216 million+54.6%
Horses and ponies, head12,661+23.6%
Tobacco, acres699−47.5%
Hay and haylage, acres16,664+5.1%
Cattle and calves, head11,191+10.3%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Fayette County accounts for 4.2% of farm sales in Kentucky and 1.0% of the farms in Kentucky. Rank Kentucky counties for horses and ponies.

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