Farm Census

Caroline County, Maryland

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

525 farms111,470 acres in farms$371 million in farm sales

No other county in Maryland with a published figure has more broilers sold than Caroline County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, poultry and eggs, makes up 70.8% of farm sales, against 47.9% across Maryland.

Poultry and eggs: 70.8%Poultry and eggs70.8%Grains and oilseeds: 20.8%Grains and oilseeds20.8%Vegetables and melons: 4.8%4.8%Withheld groups: 1.7%1.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.2%1.2%Fruit and nuts: 0.2%Hay and other crops: 0.1%Cattle and calves: 0.1%Other animals: 0.1%Horses and mules: 0.1%Hogs and pigs: under 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Poultry and eggs: 70.8%Poultry and eggs70.8%Grains and oilseeds: 20.8%Grains and oilseeds20.8%Vegetables and melons: 4.8%4.8%Withheld groups: 1.7%1.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.2%1.2%Fruit and nuts: 0.2%Hay and other crops: 0.1%Cattle and calves: 0.1%Other animals: 0.1%Horses and mules: 0.1%Hogs and pigs: under 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: milk and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Poultry and eggs$263 million2nd of 19
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$77.4 million3rd of 23
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$17.7 million2nd of 23
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$4.4 million13th of 19
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$769,00010th of 17
Hay and other crops$540,00014th of 18
Cattle and calves$482,00012th of 19
Other animals and animal products$357,0008th of 15
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$303,00012th of 18
Hogs and pigs$47,00011th of 14
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$13,00017th of 17

What the fields held

Caroline County harvested 90,637 acres of cropland in 2022, fifth of 23 counties in Maryland. Soybeans covered acreage equal to 47% of that, corn for grain 37%.

CropAcresShare of US
Soybeans43,0000.05%
Corn for grain33,855under 0.1%
Wheat15,765under 0.1%
Vegetables4,6300.11%
of which potatoes7440.07%
Barley3,2180.13%
Hay and haylage2,811under 0.1%
Grain sorghum1,596under 0.1%
Orchard land75under 0.1%
of which apples28under 0.1%
Berries22under 0.1%

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

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms54.5%

Caroline County ranks fourth of 23 counties in Maryland on this measure.

  • 95,369 acres of cropland, 86% of farmland
  • 1,849 acres of pastureland, 2% of farmland
  • 10,421 acres of woodland, 9% of farmland
  • 29,471 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Caroline County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 65 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 212 acres, seventh-largest of 23 in Maryland. The most common size class is 50–179 acres, with 33.5% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 5.5% of the total.

1–910%10–4932%50–17934%180–49913%500–9996%1,000–1,9994%2,000+2%
Caroline County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Broilers sold in 202254,254,7450.59%
Horses and ponies562under 0.1%
Goats117under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs156under 0.1%
Cattle and calves2,389under 0.1%
Laying hens2,017under 0.1%

Withheld: beef cows, milk cows, hogs and pigs and turkeys.

Who farms here

Decisions on Caroline County's 525 farms are made by 900 producers. Their average age is 59.5, 1.7 years above the Maryland average. Women are 32.8% of them.

Under 356%35–4413%45–5415%55–6426%65–7423%75+17%
Caroline County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms588−10.7%
Land in farms, acres128,052−12.9%
Average farm size, acres218−2.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$277 million+33.8%
Broilers sold, head59,634,292−9.0%
Barley, acres4,059−20.7%
Vegetables, acres6,673−30.6%
Potatoes, acres585+27.2%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Caroline County accounts for 11.0% of farm sales in Maryland and 4.2% of the farms in Maryland. Rank Maryland counties for broilers sold.

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