This data product presents information on U.S. farm households using data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). Household-level information is provided for the households of principal producers of U.S. family farms, where the principal producer is the producer most responsible for decision-making on the operation.
- Data Sources
- Scope/Coverage of Data
- Strengths and Limitations
- Methods
- Changes since 2012
- Additional Resources
- Recommended Citation
- Update/Revision History
Data Sources
The primary data source for these tables is the annual ARMS Phase III data. The data cover a representative sample of farm operations in the 48 contiguous States. Sample weights are provided to adjust for sampling methodology and response rates. Changes in survey methodology, sampling, or response rates can influence estimates derived from survey data. The survey includes household information for the principal producer’s household and the tables here only include family farms.
The majority of the tables in the data product use information asked every year in ARMS Phase III. The exception are the health insurance tables, which use questions asked only in certain years.
Additional detailed information on the ARMS survey can be found here.
The data product table comparing farm households to U.S. households more generally uses data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census on the total money income for households found here.
Scope/Coverage of Data
In 2024, the most recent survey year, the number of family farm records used to calculate farm household statistics was 17,285. These records represent the principal producers of family farms across the 48 contiguous States. ARMS Phase III contains information about the reference year, which is the calendar year prior to the year in which the survey is conducted.
Strengths and Limitations
ARMS Phase III is the only source of information on farm household-level finances and characteristics for principal producer households. The survey is unique in that it links information on the farm operation with information on the farm household, allowing for the study of connections between farm households and farm businesses.
One limitation is that the data only cover the households of the principal producer. In situations where multiple households operate a farm operation, the data will not include information on the households of non-principal producer households. Additionally, the data reported here only include the households of principal producers on family farms. Households of producers of non-family farms are excluded from the tabulations.
Methods
The estimates provided are sample weighted means and medians using the weights provided in the ARMS Phase III survey.
The household income forecasts use the latest ARMS data, forecasts from the Farm Sector Income and Farm Business Income forecasts, and forecasted growth rates for indicators of non-farm income from Oxford Economics to generate farm household level income.
Changes since 2012
Beginning in 2012, two major changes affected how ARMS data are collected.
- ARMS began using a single Costs and Return Report survey instrument that goes to all States and is administered by mail, web, and face-to-face interviews.
- The all-mail "core" version of ARMS Phase III, introduced in 2003, was discontinued.
Together, these survey design changes make farm household statistics from 2012 onward difficult to compare to earlier surveys. These changes can also affect the precision of estimates.
Data Precision and Variation
The coefficient of variation (which measures the size of the standard error as a percent of the estimated mean) for 2024 is consistent with previous years. The coefficient of variation for the mean of total household income has ranged from a low of 1.9 percent in 2008 and 2010 to as high as 5.6 percent in 2019; the variation in mean off-farm income moved similarly, at 1.6 percent in 2010 and 6.8 percent in 2019. The coefficient of variation of the farm income component of household income was generally higher, with a low of 3.8 percent in 2014 and a high of 26.6 percent in 2002, consistent with greater riskiness and variation overall in farm sector income. See more statistics on the ARMS from recent years.
Additional Resources
Additional information on ARMS can be found here.
For additional data tabulations see the ERS ARMS Tailored Reports web tool.
For additional information on farm household well-being see this ERS topic page.
Recommended Citation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Farm Household Income and Characteristics. Last updated February 5, 2026.
Update/Revision History
The Farm Household Income Forecast table reports estimates of household income and wealth for all farm households and forecasts of farm household income. This table is updated three times per year alongside the Farm Income and Wealth Statistics data product.
The Farm Household Financial Indicators tables examine household income by farm typology, size, and occupation of the principal producer. It also includes a table comparing historical farm household income to U.S. household income. These tables are updated annually when new ARMS data are available.
The Farm Household Characteristics tables provide information about farm operations and households by beginning farmer status, age, sex, operator team, and limited-resource status. These tables are updated annually when new ARMS data are available.
The Health Insurance Coverage tables show health insurance coverage and expenditures by off-farm work and commodity specialization.
February 5, 2026
This release includes the first estimates for calendar year 2024 on farm household financial indicators based on data from the ARMS. It also includes forecasts of household income for 2026 and the second and final revision of the 2025 household income forecast.