Farm Census

Kent County, Michigan

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,049 farms144,000 acres in farms$417 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Kent County ranks sixth for apples.

Its orchard acreage grew between 2017 and 2022, the second-largest increase among the 98 leading orchard counties of 2017 with figures in both years.

Nursery and greenhouse: 33.2%Nursery and greenhouse33.2%Fruit and nuts: 26.8%Fruit and nuts26.8%Milk: 15.1%Milk15.1%Grains and oilseeds: 11.3%Grains and oilseeds11.3%Hogs and pigs: 4.4%Hogs and pigs4.4%Vegetables and melons: 3.2%3.2%Cattle and calves: 2.6%2.6%Poultry and eggs: 2.0%2.0%Hay and other crops: 0.9%0.9%Other animals: 0.3%Horses and mules: 0.2%Christmas trees: 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Aquaculture: under 0.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 33.2%33.2%Fruit and nuts: 26.8%Fruit and nuts26.8%Milk: 15.1%Milk15.1%Grains and oilseeds: 11.3%11.3%Hogs and pigs: 4.4%4.4%Vegetables and melons: 3.2%3.2%Cattle and calves: 2.6%2.6%Poultry and eggs: 2.0%2.0%Hay and other crops: 0.9%0.9%Other animals: 0.3%Horses and mules: 0.2%Christmas trees: 0.1%Sheep and goats: under 0.1%Aquaculture: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$138 million2nd of 65
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$112 million1st of 67
Milk from cows$62.8 million16th of 52
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$47.3 million32nd of 76
Hogs and pigs$18.4 million11th of 60
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$13.3 million16th of 62
Cattle and calves$10.8 million15th of 74
Poultry and eggs$8.5 million6th of 67
Hay and other crops$3.9 million28th of 72
Other animals and animal products$1.2 million10th of 63
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$714,00010th of 58
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$239,00018th of 48
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$149,00035th of 61
Aquaculture$42,0004th of 5

What the fields held

Kent County harvested 99,800 acres of cropland in 2022, 29th of 81 counties in Michigan. Corn for grain covered acreage equal to 30% of that, soybeans 23%.

CropAcresShare of US
Corn for grain30,101under 0.1%
Soybeans23,115under 0.1%
Hay and haylage17,305under 0.1%
Orchard land14,6650.24%
of which grapes5under 0.1%
of which apples14,1533.4%
Corn for silage7,0000.12%
Wheat3,504under 0.1%
Vegetables2,2120.05%
of which potatoes13under 0.1%
Oats5980.07%
Dry edible beans320under 0.1%
Berries67under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: barley.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms26.5%

Kent County ranks 37th of 81 counties in Michigan on this measure.

  • 108,356 acres of cropland, 75% of farmland
  • 8,176 acres of pastureland, 6% of farmland
  • 19,235 acres of woodland, 13% of farmland
  • 10,984 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Kent County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 31 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 137 acres, 60th-largest of 73 in Michigan. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 41.4% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.9% of the total.

1–920%10–4941%50–17921%180–49911%500–9995%1,000–1,9991%2,000+1%
Kent County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Turkeys105,2080.11%
Milk cows9,0340.10%
Horses and ponies1,5270.06%
Hogs and pigs20,919under 0.1%
Cattle and calves21,803under 0.1%
Goats586under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs606under 0.1%
Beef cows2,267under 0.1%
Laying hens5,489under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20223,253under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Kent County's 1,049 farms are made by 1,885 producers. Their average age is 54.7, 1.8 years below the Michigan average. Women are 34.3% of them.

Under 3510%35–4422%45–5414%55–6424%65–7418%75+11%
Kent County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,010+3.9%
Land in farms, acres157,466−8.6%
Average farm size, acres156−12.2%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$263 million+58.7%
Apples, acres9,692+46.0%
Orchard land, acres10,051+45.9%
Corn for silage, acres7,168−2.3%
Turkeys, head67,772+55.2%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Kent County accounts for 3.4% of farm sales in Michigan and 2.3% of the farms in Michigan. Rank Michigan counties for apples.

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