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What the data says about farm workforce age
The clearest answer depends on who counts as a farm worker. The USDA Census of Agriculture measures farm producers involved in farm decisions. Separate USDA and Department of Labor sources measure hired workers using different surveys and occupational definitions.
| Population and measure | What the data reports | Geography and period |
|---|---|---|
| Farm producers; average age | 58.1 years in 2022, up 0.6 years from 2017 | United States; 2022 Census of Agriculture |
| Hired farm laborers, graders, and sorters; average age | 39.6 years | United States; 2022 American Community Survey analysis |
| Foreign-born farmworkers; change in average age | Rose by close to seven years | United States; 2006–2022 |
| Crop workers; average age and share age 55 or older | 41 years; 19 percent were 55 or older | National Agricultural Workers Survey; 2019–2020 |
The producer figure comes from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2022 Census of Agriculture summary. The hired-worker figure and age trend are reported in the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) Farm Labor topic page, which uses 2022 American Community Survey data for occupation-specific measures. The crop-worker estimate comes from the Department of Labor’s 2019–2020 National Agricultural Workers Survey. Differences in survey design, time period, and population mean these values should not be ranked as if they measured the same group.
Does this show that the northern U.S. is aging fastest?
No. The available figures do not establish a northern-specific aging rate for either farm producers or hired farmworkers. The national producer average is 58.1, but the NASS regional summary says, “On average, producers are older in southern states and younger in Midwestern states.” That directional comparison does not provide a single age estimate for the entire North, nor does it show that every Midwestern state has younger producers than every southern state.
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ERS reports a national aging trend among hired farmworkers, especially foreign-born workers, but the cited figures do not break that trend out for northern states. NASS’s Farm Labor Survey publishes estimates nationally and for 15 multistate labor regions; the survey’s geographic scope alone does not supply the age-by-region comparison needed to answer which region is aging fastest. See the NASS Agricultural (Farm) Labor Survey guide.
Why the hired-worker population is getting older
ERS reports that the average age of foreign-born farmworkers increased by close to seven years from 2006 to 2022, while the average age of U.S.-born farmworkers remained roughly constant. ERS attributes the foreign-born increase to fewer young immigrants entering agriculture. This finding describes a demographic change in the national hired-worker population; it is not evidence that age itself determines a worker’s ability or productivity.
As historical context, an earlier ERS analysis found that the average age of all hired farm laborers rose 8 percent, from 35.8 to 38.8 years, between 2006 and 2017. The later ERS series extends through 2022, so the earlier result should not be mistaken for the latest endpoint. The historical analysis is available in ERS’s May 8, 2019 chart on the age of hired farm laborers.
Farm producers are not the same group as hired farmworkers
“Farm producer” refers to a person involved in making decisions for a farm, as counted by the Census of Agriculture. Hired-worker statistics instead concern paid occupations such as laborers, graders, sorters, managers, inspectors, and supervisors, depending on the source and measure. Crop-worker surveys are another distinct population. A producer’s age does not stand in for the age of hired labor, and a statistic for laborers, graders, and sorters is not an estimate for all people working on farms.
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This distinction matters when interpreting the 58.1-year producer average alongside hired-worker figures. The numbers answer separate questions: the census describes decision-makers, while labor datasets describe workers by employment or occupation.
Are new farmers younger?
Beginning producers were 47.1 years old on average in 2022, according to the NASS Census of Agriculture summary on new and beginning producers. NASS defines a beginning farmer by experience—10 or fewer years farming—not by age. The lower average compared with all producers therefore does not mean that beginning producers are necessarily young, or that this group represents hired farmworkers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What farms can do about physically demanding tasks
Age averages do not identify which individual workers need support. ERS points to mechanical aids as one way to reduce physical demands: hydraulic platforms can replace orchard ladders, while mobile conveyor belts can shorten the distance heavy loads must be carried. These are examples of task-specific aids, not a complete solution or a product recommendation. Their suitability depends on the crop, terrain, throughput, and job.
The cited ERS discussion describes these equipment categories but does not evaluate particular models. A farm considering an aid should match it to the work being done and the site conditions rather than assume one device will suit every operation. ERS discusses these examples in “U.S. Hired Farm Workforce Is Aging”.
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