Disclaimer: General educational research only — not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by state and by family. Talk to an estate planning attorney in your state before you act.
USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 3,374,044 farm producers. 1,293,993 of them (38.4%) were 65 or older, and 467,062 (13.8%) were 75 or older. Only 296,480 (8.8%) were under 35, so there were about 4.4 producers 65 and older for every producer under 35. The average producer was 58.1 years old.
Those farms hold a lot of family wealth. Farmers valued their land and buildings at about $3.39 trillion in 2022, an average of $1,781,284 per farm. When an older owner dies without a plan, that land can be tied up in probate, split among heirs who don’t farm, or sold to pay costs.
A farm that has been in the family for generations can be lost in one messy estate. See how a trust and a will differ.
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Key findings
- 1,293,993 producers (38.4%) were 65 or older in 2022, up 12.1% from 1,154,042 in 2017, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
- Highest shares 65+: Hawaii (47.7%), New Mexico (45.8%), Montana (43.5%), California (42.5%), Mississippi (42.4%) and Arizona (42.3%).
- Lowest shares 65+: Alaska (32.8%), Pennsylvania (32.8%), Indiana (34.1%), Michigan (34.1%) and Rhode Island (34.1%).
- Largest numbers of producers 65+: Texas (166,930), Missouri (59,130), Iowa (58,280), California (50,931) and Illinois (48,724).
- 1,779,867 producers said they help make estate or succession planning decisions for their farm. 762,522 of them (42.8%) were 65 or older, and their average age was 60.1.
- Highest average value of land and buildings per farm: California ($5,031,367), South Dakota ($3,875,318), Wyoming ($3,442,320), Nebraska ($3,397,806) and North Dakota ($3,287,801). Lowest: West Virginia ($514,419), Maine ($649,229) and Vermont ($741,648).
Farm producers by age, by state
| State | Producers | Age 65+ | 65+ share (%) | 75+ share (%) | Under 35 share (%) | Average age | Land and buildings value per farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 11,833 | 5,646 | 47.7 | 15.6 | 6.5 | 60.7 | $1,829,687 |
| New Mexico | 37,023 | 16,974 | 45.8 | 17.2 | 7.2 | 60.6 | $1,563,887 |
| Montana | 45,058 | 19,582 | 43.5 | 15.1 | 8.2 | 59.3 | $3,078,961 |
| California | 119,923 | 50,931 | 42.5 | 16.0 | 6.4 | 59.9 | $5,031,367 |
| Mississippi | 52,025 | 22,058 | 42.4 | 15.7 | 7.0 | 59.6 | $1,103,669 |
| Arizona | 29,100 | 12,303 | 42.3 | 16.5 | 7.2 | 60.1 | $1,348,526 |
| Wyoming | 20,192 | 8,504 | 42.1 | 13.9 | 9.1 | 58.5 | $3,442,320 |
| Connecticut | 9,374 | 3,938 | 42.0 | 14.1 | 10.2 | 58.5 | $1,024,371 |
| Texas | 402,876 | 166,930 | 41.4 | 15.8 | 6.2 | 59.9 | $1,359,449 |
| Washington | 60,453 | 24,943 | 41.3 | 14.3 | 6.5 | 59.3 | $1,651,925 |
| New Hampshire | 7,209 | 2,967 | 41.2 | 12.4 | 7.2 | 59.0 | $756,278 |
| South Carolina | 38,097 | 15,549 | 40.8 | 14.4 | 7.8 | 58.9 | $876,265 |
| Virginia | 67,798 | 27,506 | 40.6 | 15.4 | 7.6 | 59.2 | $994,096 |
| Florida | 79,253 | 31,935 | 40.3 | 15.2 | 6.6 | 59.5 | $1,588,416 |
| Illinois | 121,342 | 48,724 | 40.2 | 15.2 | 8.8 | 58.6 | $3,112,490 |
| Massachusetts | 13,284 | 5,337 | 40.2 | 13.0 | 8.4 | 58.7 | $906,940 |
| Georgia | 67,082 | 26,686 | 39.8 | 15.3 | 7.5 | 59.0 | $1,080,994 |
| Kansas | 100,655 | 39,973 | 39.7 | 13.9 | 9.6 | 58.2 | $1,867,749 |
| West Virginia | 39,109 | 15,544 | 39.7 | 14.6 | 8.1 | 58.7 | $514,419 |
| Oregon | 68,564 | 27,156 | 39.6 | 14.1 | 7.1 | 58.6 | $1,589,147 |
| Colorado | 67,852 | 26,802 | 39.5 | 13.9 | 8.0 | 58.3 | $2,011,854 |
| Alabama | 62,777 | 24,683 | 39.3 | 14.9 | 8.0 | 58.7 | $845,032 |
| Vermont | 12,470 | 4,902 | 39.3 | 12.1 | 9.7 | 57.7 | $741,648 |
| Tennessee | 107,817 | 42,199 | 39.1 | 14.7 | 7.4 | 58.9 | $877,007 |
| Delaware | 3,812 | 1,481 | 38.9 | 16.3 | 9.1 | 58.8 | $2,305,876 |
| Maine | 13,053 | 5,026 | 38.5 | 12.4 | 9.3 | 57.5 | $649,229 |
| Iowa | 153,680 | 58,280 | 37.9 | 13.7 | 10.3 | 57.6 | $3,191,520 |
| North Carolina | 72,479 | 27,447 | 37.9 | 14.3 | 8.6 | 58.1 | $1,040,748 |
| Missouri | 156,652 | 59,130 | 37.7 | 14.1 | 9.6 | 57.9 | $1,418,375 |
| Louisiana | 42,551 | 15,957 | 37.5 | 12.9 | 8.4 | 58.0 | $1,149,635 |
| Oklahoma | 124,743 | 46,618 | 37.4 | 14.2 | 9.4 | 57.7 | $1,024,758 |
| New Jersey | 18,591 | 6,889 | 37.1 | 13.9 | 7.8 | 58.7 | $1,138,045 |
| Nebraska | 80,283 | 29,620 | 36.9 | 12.0 | 11.2 | 56.9 | $3,397,806 |
| Maryland | 23,507 | 8,647 | 36.8 | 13.7 | 9.8 | 57.8 | $1,459,780 |
| Nevada | 5,708 | 2,092 | 36.7 | 12.8 | 9.4 | 57.4 | $2,121,394 |
| South Dakota | 51,071 | 18,729 | 36.7 | 11.9 | 10.5 | 57.2 | $3,875,318 |
| Arkansas | 67,425 | 24,575 | 36.4 | 13.2 | 9.2 | 57.6 | $1,425,107 |
| North Dakota | 43,560 | 15,666 | 36.0 | 11.8 | 11.3 | 56.8 | $3,287,801 |
| Minnesota | 114,868 | 40,796 | 35.5 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 57.1 | $2,371,007 |
| New York | 57,558 | 20,344 | 35.3 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 56.7 | $870,211 |
| Kentucky | 119,132 | 41,736 | 35.0 | 12.3 | 9.8 | 57.1 | $882,619 |
| Utah | 33,270 | 11,652 | 35.0 | 12.2 | 9.1 | 56.6 | $1,837,389 |
| Idaho | 43,333 | 15,120 | 34.9 | 11.6 | 8.9 | 56.6 | $2,124,863 |
| Ohio | 132,912 | 45,662 | 34.4 | 12.0 | 11.1 | 56.3 | $1,444,633 |
| Wisconsin | 105,920 | 36,307 | 34.3 | 10.8 | 9.9 | 56.7 | $1,440,749 |
| Indiana | 94,282 | 32,178 | 34.1 | 12.5 | 11.7 | 56.0 | $2,250,114 |
| Michigan | 80,473 | 27,429 | 34.1 | 11.9 | 10.4 | 56.5 | $1,221,746 |
| Rhode Island | 1,938 | 661 | 34.1 | 11.2 | 9.7 | 56.6 | $1,348,463 |
| Alaska | 2,045 | 671 | 32.8 | 8.8 | 6.8 | 56.7 | $773,460 |
| Pennsylvania | 90,032 | 29,508 | 32.8 | 11.0 | 12.7 | 55.4 | $1,153,908 |
| United States | 3,374,044 | 1,293,993 | 38.4 | 13.8 | 8.8 | 58.1 | $1,781,284 |
Source: USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture (Quick Stats). Sorted by share of producers 65 or older. The census reports details for up to four producers per farm. D.C. is not included in the Census of Agriculture.
What this means for farm families
- The average farm is far below the federal estate tax limit. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15,000,000 per person in 2026 (IRS). For many farm families, the bigger risks are probate, land split among several heirs, and nobody named to run the operation. See who still files a federal estate tax return.
- Some states tax estates or inheritances at much lower levels than the federal limit. See death taxes by state.
- Land left to “the kids” with no plan can end up as heirs’ property, owned in shares by many relatives, which can make it hard to borrow, sell or get disaster aid. See heirs’ property and FEMA disaster aid.
- Common tools include a will, a revocable living trust that holds the land, a transfer-on-death deed where state law allows it, and written agreements for any farm partnership or LLC. The federal tax code also has farm-specific rules, such as special-use valuation for farmland and installment payment of estate tax for family businesses. An attorney and a tax professional can tell you whether they fit.
- Basis matters when land passes at death. See gift the house or leave it for how the step-up in basis works.
Related: small business owners 55 and older · the silver tsunami map
Methodology
All figures come from USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture data in the Quick Stats bulk files (demographics and economics), downloaded Oct. 18, 2026. We used state-level “TOTAL” rows for 2022. Producers 65+ equals the age 65 to 74 group plus the age 75 and older group. The share is producers 65+ divided by all producers. Land and buildings value is the census measure of agricultural land including buildings, total dollars and dollars per operation, as reported by farmers for 2022.
What this doesn’t measure. Producers are the people making decisions for a farm, not always the people who own the land; landlords who don’t farm are not counted. The estate or succession planning question asks who takes part in those decisions, not whether a will, trust or succession plan exists. Land values are 2022 figures and have changed since. The next Census of Agriculture covers 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How many U.S. farmers are 65 or older?
1,293,993, or 38.4% of 3,374,044 producers in the 2022 Census of Agriculture.
Which state has the oldest farmers?
Hawaii has the highest share 65+ (47.7%) and the highest average age (60.7).
Does a farm have to pay federal estate tax?
Only if the estate is above the federal exclusion ($15,000,000 per person in 2026), after deductions. The average farm’s land and buildings ($1,781,284 in 2022) are far below it, but state estate or inheritance taxes and probate costs can still apply.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. Talk to an estate planning attorney and a tax professional in your state.
Sources
Public-domain government sources only. Fetched 2026-10-18.
Data
- USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, Quick Stats bulk files (demographics and economics): https://www.nass.usda.gov/datasets/
- USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights, Farm Producers (2017 comparison): https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Highlights/2024/Census22_HL_FarmProducers_FINAL.pdf
- IRS, estate tax basic exclusion amount for 2026: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estate-tax
Related data
More in Aging, care and Medicaid.
Cite this data
Family Estate Guide, “Farmers 65 and Older by State,” October 2026. https://familyestateguide.com/estate-planning-data/farmers-65-plus-by-state/
You’re welcome to reuse the table with a link back to this page. The underlying government data is public.
Published October 18, 2026 by Family Estate Guide. Data vintage: USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture. Editorial standards.