Median farm household income up in 2011 and forecast higher in 2012

Median total farm household income increased by 5.4 percent in 2011, to $57,067, and is expected to increase another 1.2 percent in 2012, to $57,762. Most farm households operate small farms and rely solely on off-farm income, which is forecast to rise 3.2 percent in 2012. In contrast to the farm households that operate small farms, households associated with commercial farms derive the majority of their income from farming activities. Their median income from farming increased an estimated 7.9 percent in 2011 to $84,697, and their total household income also increased by 7.9 percent, to $127,054. This chart is from the Farm Household Well-being topic page on the ERS website.

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