California Claims Six of Top 10 Farm Economies

Agriculture in America accounts for 3.75 million jobs—farm jobs, of course, manufacturing, transportation, research, and more. That total compares to about 4.3 million jobs in the tech sector, according to Joel Kotkin, who explores demographic, social, and economic trends, and who recently contributed an article to Forbes on “The Uncelebrated Places Where America’s Farm Economy is Thriving.”

For the article, Kotkin and Mark Schill, head of research at the Grand Forks, ND-based Praxis Strategy Group, analyzed performances of the nation’s largest 124 agriculture economies. They studied job growth in 68 agriculture-related industries, including farm equipment and food processing, and considered criteria such as average earnings in these communities, earnings growth, and the share of agribusiness in the local workforce.

Based on that data, the top 10 U.S. agricultural economies are:

1. Madera, CA
2. Decatur, IL
3. Merced, CA
4. St. Joseph, MO-KS
5. Yakima, WA
6. Bakersfield, CA
7. Visalia-Porterville, CA
8. Salinas, CA
9. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
10. Hanford-Corcoran, CA

To read Kotkin’s complete story, go to FarmEquip.org/Top10 S