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Farm Household Income and Characteristics - Documentation

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

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 U.S. 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.

Most tables in this data product rely on ARMS Phase III questions that are included every year, such as core items on farm household income, farm structure, demographic characteristics of the principal producer, and off‑farm employment. Only the health insurance tables rely on questions that are 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 as part of USDA’s 2012 redesign of ARMS survey instruments because it was no longer practical once most mail surveys required interviewer follow up.

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 is the standard error of the estimated mean 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. This number is 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 3 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. The tables also include 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.

May 15, 2026

Tables on farm-household characteristics (including data pertaining to operators experience, age, sex, type of management team, and limited-resource status) were updated to provide estimates for 2024. The finance and characteristics of principal farm-operator household by major occupation tables for 2024 were also updated to include the percentage of family members in poverty, incorporating new poverty thresholds from the U.S. Census Bureau.

February 5, 2026

This release includes the first estimates for calendar year 2024 on farm household financial indicators based on data from the ARMS. The release also includes forecasts of household income for 2026 and the second and final revision of the 2025 household income forecast.