Agriculture Then and Now
1860* | 2010** | % Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of farms | 2,044,000 | 2,201,000 | 7.68 |
Total acreage | 407,213,000 | 921,000,000 | 126.17 |
Average acreage per farm | 199 | 418 | 110.05 |
Total U.S. population | 31,443,321*** (10.6/sq. mi) |
308,745,538 (87.4/sq. mi) |
881.91 |
Labor force in agriculture | 15,141,000*** | 2,113,000 | -86.05 |
% of population in agriculture | 48% | 0.68% | N/A |
*Historical Statistics of the United States (Millennial Edition Online),
Cambridge University Press - date accessed 2/6/09
**2012 Statistical Abstract (online), U.S. Census Bureau -
date accessed 4/5/12
***Estimate from Growing A Nation: The Story of American Agriculture -
date accessed 2/6/09