Farm Census

Graves County, Kentucky

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,129 farms255,830 acres in farms$474 million in farm sales

No other county in Kentucky with a published figure has more broilers sold, or sells more farm products than Graves County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, poultry and eggs, makes up 66.1% of farm sales, against 22.3% across Kentucky.

Poultry and eggs: 66.1%Poultry and eggs66.1%Grains and oilseeds: 26.6%Grains and oilseeds26.6%Hogs and pigs: 2.0%2.0%Cattle and calves: 1.9%1.9%Tobacco: 1.8%Tobacco1.8%Hay and other crops: 0.7%0.7%Vegetables and melons: 0.5%Horses and mules: 0.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 0.1%Fruit and nuts: 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Poultry and eggs: 66.1%Poultry and eggs66.1%Grains and oilseeds: 26.6%Grains and oilseeds26.6%Hogs and pigs: 2.0%2.0%Cattle and calves: 1.9%Tobacco: 1.8%Hay and other crops: 0.7%Vegetables and melons: 0.5%Horses and mules: 0.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 0.1%Fruit and nuts: 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: milk, aquaculture products and other animal products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Poultry and eggs$313 million1st of 100
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$126 million6th of 105
Hogs and pigs$9.7 million4th of 56
Cattle and calves$8.8 million42nd of 113
Tobacco$8.4 million5th of 60
Hay and other crops$3.2 million35th of 115
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$2.5 million5th of 98
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.0 million16th of 95
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$558,00028th of 76
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$320,00020th of 71
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$134,00039th of 101

What the fields held

Graves County harvested 176,255 acres of cropland in 2022, fourth of 116 counties in Kentucky. Soybeans covered acreage equal to 55% of that, corn for grain 35%.

CropAcresShare of US
Soybeans97,6960.12%
Corn for grain61,8620.08%
Wheat22,3150.06%
Hay and haylage10,429under 0.1%
Tobacco1,1580.56%
Vegetables128under 0.1%
Orchard land51under 0.1%
of which apples4under 0.1%
of which pecans39under 0.1%
Berries14under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for silage, canola, potatoes and grapes.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms72.4%

Graves County ranks 21st of 120 counties in Kentucky on this measure.

  • 199,265 acres of cropland, 78% of farmland
  • 17,810 acres of pastureland, 7% of farmland
  • 34,052 acres of woodland, 13% of farmland
  • 4,523 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Graves County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 50 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 227 acres, 23rd-largest of 110 in Kentucky. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 42.7% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 5.4% of the total.

1–96%10–4943%50–17934%180–4999%500–9993%1,000–1,9992%2,000+3%
Graves County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Broilers sold in 202254,075,1800.59%
Hogs and pigs29,824under 0.1%
Horses and ponies857under 0.1%
Goats612under 0.1%
Beef cows5,483under 0.1%
Cattle and calves15,109under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs215under 0.1%
Milk cows21under 0.1%
Turkeys19under 0.1%

Withheld: laying hens.

Who farms here

Decisions on Graves County's 1,129 farms are made by 1,793 producers. Their average age is 57.1, the same as the Kentucky average. Women are 33.6% of them.

Under 3510%35–4415%45–5415%55–6424%65–7422%75+14%
Graves County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,104+2.3%
Land in farms, acres251,192+1.8%
Average farm size, acres228−0.4%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$346 million+36.9%
Broilers sold, head51,374,673+5.3%
Tobacco, acres1,947−40.5%
Soybeans, acres91,122+7.2%
Corn for grain, acres62,317−0.7%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Graves County accounts for 5.9% of farm sales in Kentucky and 1.6% of the farms in Kentucky. Rank Kentucky counties for broilers sold.

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