| Farm size | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 - 49 acres | 50 - 499 acres | 500 - 999 acres | 1,000 + acres | Total | ||||||||||||
| Year | Number of farms | Acres in farms | Number of farms | Acres in farms | Number of farms | Acres in farms | Number of farms | Acres in farms | Number of farms | Acres in farms | Average farm size | |||||
| millions | acres | |||||||||||||||
| 1900 | 1.93 | 49 | 3.37 | 520 | 0.1 | 68 | 0.05 | 200 | 5.74 | 837 | na | |||||
| 1910 | 2.25 | 49 | 3.93 | 570 | 0.1 | 84 | 0.05 | 167 | 6.37 | 870 | na | |||||
| 1920 | 2.31 | 59 | 3.93 | 580 | 0.2 | 100 | 0.07 | 221 | 6.45 | 960 | na | |||||
| 1925 | 2.42 | 57 | 3.75 | 550 | 0.1 | 97 | 0.06 | 224 | 6.37 | 928 | na | |||||
| 1930 | 2.36 | 56 | 3.69 | 550 | 0.2 | 109 | 0.08 | 277 | 6.30 | 992 | na | |||||
| 1935 | 2.69 | 59 | 3.86 | 540 | 0.2 | 114 | 0.09 | 310 | 6.81 | 1,023 | na | |||||
| 1940 | 2.29 | 50 | 3.55 | 540 | 0.2 | 112 | 0.10 | 366 | 6.10 | 1,068 | na | |||||
| 1945 | 2.25 | 47 | 3.32 | 520 | 0.2 | 119 | 0.11 | 460 | 5.86 | 1,146 | na | |||||
| 1950 | 1.97 | 39 | 3.12 | 500 | 0.2 | 126 | 0.12 | 495 | 5.39 | 1,160 | 213 | |||||
| 1954 | 1.70 | 32 | 2.76 | 460 | 0.2 | 132 | 0.13 | 531 | 4.78 | 1,155 | 251 | |||||
| 1959 | 1.06 | 22 | 2.32 | 410 | 0.2 | 137 | 0.14 | 555 | 3.71 | 1,124 | 288 | |||||
| 1964 | 0.82 | 17 | 1.98 | 360 | 0.2 | 145 | 0.15 | 585 | 3.16 | 1,107 | 332 | |||||
| 1969 | 0.64 | 14 | 1.73 | 320 | 0.2 | 148 | 0.15 | 578 | 2.73 | 1,060 | 369 | |||||
| 1974 | 0.51 | 11 | 1.44 | 273 | 0.2 | 142 | 0.16 | 590 | 2.31 | 1,024 | 388 | |||||
| 1978 | 0.54 | 12 | 1.34 | 256 | 0.2 | 147 | 0.16 | 600 | 2.26 | 1,015 | 429 | |||||
| 1982 | 0.64 | 13 | 1.24 | 233 | 0.2 | 141 | 0.16 | 600 | 2.24 | 987 | 427 | |||||
| 1987 | 0.60 | 12 | 1.12 | 212 | 0.2 | 139 | 0.17 | 602 | 2.09 | 965 | 451 | |||||
| 1992 | 0.56 | 11 | 1.01 | 190 | 0.2 | 129 | 0.17 | 615 | 1.93 | 945 | 464 | |||||
| 1997 | 0.56 | 12 | 0.99 | 182 | 0.2 | 122 | 0.18 | 616 | 1.91 | 932 | 436 | |||||
| 1999 | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | 432 | |||||
Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 (GPO, Washington, DC, 1975).
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Service, 1997 Census of Agriculture, Vol. I: Part 51, Chapter 1. United States Summary National-Level Data, National, State and County Tables (Internet accessible data tables as of February 22, 1999), and earlier census reports.
--. Farms and Land in Farms. Statistical Bulletin 895 (NASS, Washington, DC, annual).
Notes: Data for total number of farms and land in farms by farm size are from the Census of Agriculture while data for average farm size are annual estimates. These two data series are not directly comparable.
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