South Dakota farming statistics (2022)
South Dakota had 28,299 farms working 42,304,601 acres of land in farms in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, with an average farm size of 1,495 acres, according to USDA NASS. Number of farms is the count of operations from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. Among the 50 states, South Dakota ranks 28 of 50 by number of farms.
Quick answer
South Dakota had 28,299 farms in 2022 (USDA NASS) — about 1.5% of all US farms — across 42,304,601 acres of farmland, averaging 1,495 acres per farm. Average farm size is land in farms divided by the number of farms, as published.
Farms
28,299
2022 census count
Land in farms
42,304,601
acres, 2022
Avg farm size
1,495
acres, 2022
Rank by farms
28 / 50
among US states
How South Dakota compares
States ranked nearest to South Dakota by number of farms (2022 Census of Agriculture).
| # | State | Farms | Avg size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Washington | 32,076 | 432 acres |
| 26 | Mississippi | 31,290 | 328 acres |
| 27 | New York | 30,650 | 212 acres |
| 29 | North Dakota | 25,068 | 1,537 acres |
| 30 | Louisiana | 25,006 | 319 acres |
| 31 | Montana | 24,266 | 2,374 acres |
Source: USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture, Vol. 1 Ch. 2, Table 1. U.S. Public Domain.
Frequently asked questions
- How many farms are there in South Dakota?
- South Dakota had 28,299 farms in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, working 42,304,601 acres of land in farms, according to USDA NASS. That ranks 28 of 50 states by number of farms.
- What is the average farm size in South Dakota?
- The average farm size in South Dakota was 1,495 acres in 2022 (USDA NASS) — total land in farms (42,304,601 acres) divided by the number of farms (28,299), as published.
- What reference period and source does the South Dakota figure use?
- The figures relate to the 2022 Census of Agriculture (the latest; conducted every five years) and are taken from USDA NASS, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Table 1 (State Summary Highlights). U.S. Public Domain. Verified 2026-06-27.
Source & licence
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) — 2022 Census of Agriculture — Volume 1, Chapter 2: State Level Data, Table 1. State Summary Highlights: 2022 (st99_2_001_001). U.S. Public Domain (17 U.S.C. § 105).
Works of the U.S. federal government (USDA NASS) are not subject to copyright (17 U.S.C. § 105). Figure verified 2026-06-27.