Counties most reliant on farming tend to be located in center of the country

For 453 counties, farming is a particularly important part of the local economy. Researchers with USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) track the economic structure of the United States’ 3,143 counties as part of their County Typology Codes. Those classified as having a high concentration of earnings and jobs in farming tend to be primarily located in rural areas in the middle of the country. In these counties, at least 20 percent of the annual average labor and proprietors’ earnings—or at least 17 percent of the annual average number of jobs—come from farming. These counties do not necessarily have the highest levels of agricultural production or the most agricultural land but are the counties that rely the most on farming for their earnings and jobs. Counties which are urban and which have high farming concentrations are located near urban areas. Though many of these counties’ residents commute to the urban core for work, the economic activity within these counties is concentrated in agriculture. ERS's county typology codes also identify counties with high concentrations in mining, manufacturing, government, recreation, and counties that do not specialize in any of these industries. This figure appears in the ERS County Typology Codes data product, updated in April 2025.