Sutton County, Texas
Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture
289 farms909,743 acres in farms$20.4 million in farm sales
Among US counties with published figures, Sutton County leads the country in goats and ranks seventh for sales of sheep and goat products.
Its largest product group with a published figure, cattle and calves, makes up 49.1% of farm sales, against 48.2% across Texas.
Sales by product group
| Product group | Sales | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle and calves | $10.0 million | 152nd of 230 |
| Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk | $9.8 million | 2nd of 201 |
| Other animals and animal products | $138,000 | 103rd of 161 |
What the fields held
Sutton County harvested 2,205 acres of cropland in 2022, 211th of 220 counties in Texas. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 63% of that.
| Crop | Acres | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Hay and haylage | 1,393 | under 0.1% |
Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for grain, wheat, cotton, orchard land and pecans.
How much of the county is farmland
Share of the county land in farms97.8%
Sutton County ranks 59th of 250 counties in Texas on this measure.
- 21,768 acres of cropland, 2% of farmland
- 884,714 acres of pastureland, 97% of farmland
- 23,424 acres of woodland, 3% of farmland
Farm sizes
Farms in Sutton County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 574 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 3,148 acres, 25th-largest of 242 in Texas. The most common size class is 2,000+ acres, with 33.2% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 42.9% of the total.
Barns, pens and pastures
| Animals | Head | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Goats | 52,860 | 2.1% |
| Sheep and lambs | 19,443 | 0.38% |
| Beef cows | 7,607 | under 0.1% |
| Cattle and calves | 12,242 | under 0.1% |
| Horses and ponies | 302 | under 0.1% |
| Laying hens | 266 | under 0.1% |
Withheld: hogs and pigs.
Who farms here
Decisions on Sutton County's 289 farms are made by 527 producers. Their average age is 60.0, 0.1 years above the Texas average. Women are 36.8% of them.
Five years earlier
| Measure | 2017 | Change to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Farms | 261 | +10.7% |
| Land in farms, acres | 900,864 | +1.0% |
| Average farm size, acres | 3,452 | −8.8% |
| Farm products sold (current dollars) | $10.3 million | +97.2% |
| Goats, head | 53,991 | −2.1% |
| Sheep and lambs, head | 17,941 | +8.4% |
| Beef cows, head | 8,238 | −7.7% |
| Cattle and calves, head | 13,325 | −8.1% |
Nearest rivals
- Goats ahead of Val Verde County, TX and Crockett County, TX
- Sheep and lambs between Bingham County, ID and Jefferson County, ID
- Beef cows between Hancock County, TN and Redwood County, MN
- Cattle and calves between Childress County, TX and Ohio County, KY
Counties with a similar sales mix
- Crockett County, Texas largest group: cattle and calves; mix match 99%
- Moffat County, Colorado largest group: cattle and calves; mix match 92%
- Schleicher County, Texas largest group: cattle and calves; mix match 90%
Sutton County accounts for 0.1% of farm sales in Texas and 0.1% of the farms in Texas. Rank Texas counties for goats.
Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.