Farm Census

Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

570 farms39,253 acres in farms$29.6 million in farm sales

No other county in New Hampshire with a published figure has more farms or vegetables than Hillsborough County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, vegetables and melons, makes up 24.1% of farm sales, against 10.0% across New Hampshire.

Vegetables and melons: 24.1%Vegetables and melons24.1%Fruit and nuts: 19.5%Fruit and nuts19.5%Withheld groups: 16.2%Withheld groups16.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 13.4%Nursery and greenhouse13.4%Hay and other crops: 9.9%Hay and other crops9.9%Horses and mules: 4.9%Horses and mules4.9%Other animals: 3.2%3.2%Poultry and eggs: 3.0%3.0%Hogs and pigs: 2.2%2.2%Cattle and calves: 1.7%1.7%Grains and oilseeds: 0.8%0.8%Sheep and goats: 0.7%0.7%Christmas trees: 0.3%Vegetables and melons: 24.1%Vegetables and melons24.1%Fruit and nuts: 19.5%Fruit and nuts19.5%Withheld groups: 16.2%Withheld groups16.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 13.4%13.4%Hay and other crops: 9.9%9.9%Horses and mules: 4.9%4.9%Other animals: 3.2%3.2%Poultry and eggs: 3.0%3.0%Hogs and pigs: 2.2%2.2%Cattle and calves: 1.7%Grains and oilseeds: 0.8%Sheep and goats: 0.7%Christmas trees: 0.3%
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
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$7.1 million1st of 10
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$5.8 million1st of 10
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$4.0 million3rd of 10
Hay and other crops$2.9 million3rd of 10
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.5 million2nd of 7
Other animals and animal products$935,0001st of 7
Poultry and eggs$899,0001st of 7
Hogs and pigs$658,0001st of 10
Cattle and calves$503,0007th of 10
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$250,0005th of 8
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$210,0005th of 10
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$82,0007th of 8

What the fields held

Hillsborough County harvested 8,074 acres of cropland in 2022, fifth of 10 counties in New Hampshire. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 76% of that, vegetables 12%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage6,137under 0.1%
Vegetables961under 0.1%
of which potatoes15under 0.1%
Orchard land348under 0.1%
of which grapes2under 0.1%
of which apples2830.07%
Corn for silage206under 0.1%
Berries1810.05%

Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for grain and sunflower.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms7.0%

Hillsborough County ranks seventh of 10 counties in New Hampshire on this measure.

  • 10,350 acres of cropland, 26% of farmland
  • 3,996 acres of pastureland, 10% of farmland
  • 21,889 acres of woodland, 56% of farmland
  • 867 acres irrigated

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Sheep and lambs1,355under 0.1%
Horses and ponies562under 0.1%
Goats521under 0.1%
Laying hens9,924under 0.1%
Beef cows575under 0.1%
Cattle and calves1,670under 0.1%
Milk cows137under 0.1%
Turkeys1,228under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 202213,305under 0.1%

Withheld: hogs and pigs.

Who farms here

Decisions on Hillsborough County's 570 farms are made by 1,008 producers. Their average age is 59.3, 0.3 years above the New Hampshire average. Women are 43.1% of them.

Under 355%35–449%45–5419%55–6427%65–7428%75+12%
Hillsborough County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms605−5.8%
Land in farms, acres44,216−11.2%
Average farm size, acres73−5.5%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$18.8 million+57.7%
Apples, acres303−6.6%
Berries, acres79+100%
Sheep and lambs, head1,041+30.2%
Horses and ponies, head1,135−50.5%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Hillsborough County accounts for 11.9% of farm sales in New Hampshire and 14.4% of the farms in New Hampshire. Rank New Hampshire counties for apples.

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