Farm Census

Jefferson County, West Virginia

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

520 farms60,434 acres in farms$40.8 million in farm sales

No other county in West Virginia with a published figure has more corn for grain or soybeans than Jefferson County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, grains and oilseeds, makes up 55.8% of farm sales, against 6.7% across West Virginia.

Grains and oilseeds: 55.8%Grains and oilseeds55.8%Fruit and nuts: 13.3%Fruit and nuts13.3%Milk: 8.7%Milk8.7%Cattle and calves: 7.9%Cattle and calves7.9%Horses and mules: 3.9%3.9%Hay and other crops: 3.7%3.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.8%2.8%Vegetables and melons: 2.4%2.4%Sheep and goats: 0.5%0.5%Other animals: 0.4%0.4%Christmas trees: 0.3%Poultry and eggs: 0.2%Grains and oilseeds: 55.8%Grains and oilseeds55.8%Fruit and nuts: 13.3%13.3%Milk: 8.7%Milk8.7%Cattle and calves: 7.9%7.9%Horses and mules: 3.9%3.9%Hay and other crops: 3.7%3.7%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.8%2.8%Vegetables and melons: 2.4%2.4%Sheep and goats: 0.5%Other animals: 0.4%Christmas trees: 0.3%Poultry and eggs: 0.2%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: hogs and pigs and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$22.8 million1st of 33
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$5.4 million2nd of 41
Milk from cows$3.5 million1st of 8
Cattle and calves$3.2 million17th of 50
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.6 million1st of 32
Hay and other crops$1.5 million18th of 49
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$1.1 million4th of 33
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$964,0005th of 40
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$193,0008th of 44
Other animals and animal products$182,0003rd of 40
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$113,0004th of 13
Poultry and eggs$68,00024th of 44

What the fields held

Jefferson County harvested 36,405 acres of cropland in 2022, second of 52 counties in West Virginia. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 35% of that, corn for grain 30%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage12,587under 0.1%
Corn for grain11,002under 0.1%
Soybeans10,372under 0.1%
Wheat1,772under 0.1%
Corn for silage905under 0.1%
Orchard land730under 0.1%
of which apples3440.08%
Vegetables75under 0.1%
of which potatoes6under 0.1%
Berries10under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: barley and grapes.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms45.0%

Jefferson County ranks fifth of 52 counties in West Virginia on this measure.

  • 39,781 acres of cropland, 66% of farmland
  • 13,582 acres of pastureland, 22% of farmland
  • 6,012 acres of woodland, 10% of farmland
  • 167 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Jefferson County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 24 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 116 acres, 35th-largest of 47 in West Virginia. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 44.2% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 2.3% of the total.

1–918%10–4944%50–17922%180–49912%500–9992%1,000–1,9992%2,000+0%
Jefferson County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Horses and ponies1,3200.05%
Goats695under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs1,207under 0.1%
Beef cows4,722under 0.1%
Cattle and calves9,241under 0.1%
Milk cows624under 0.1%
Laying hens1,994under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs183under 0.1%
Turkeys188under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022449under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Jefferson County's 520 farms are made by 882 producers. Their average age is 59.4, 0.7 years above the West Virginia average. Women are 38.1% of them.

Under 355%35–4412%45–5415%55–6428%65–7425%75+14%
Jefferson County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms607−14.3%
Land in farms, acres66,113−8.6%
Average farm size, acres109+6.4%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$28.7 million+42.4%
Horses and ponies, head1,747−24.4%
Goats, head937−25.8%
Sheep and lambs, head864+39.7%
Hay and haylage, acres13,924−9.6%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Jefferson County accounts for 4.3% of farm sales in West Virginia and 2.3% of the farms in West Virginia. Rank West Virginia counties for apples.

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