The food and agriculture industry plays a significant role in the United States economy, as demonstrated by the recently released seventh annual Feeding the Economy report. This year’s report provides an updated perspective of the industry’s impact, offering county-level data that gives a more detailed view of how food and agriculture impact local economies across the country.
The report reveals that the food and agriculture sector supports almost 23 million jobs and provides $927 billion in wages. Moreover, it highlights the industry’s importance in rural communities across the United States. Although economic challenges brought on by the pandemic had an impact, the industry continued to show growth, with the supply chain supporting over 46 million jobs.
The county-level data provides fascinating insights into the industry’s impact on specific regions. The data shows that urban areas with higher population densities outperformed rural areas when it comes to food sales:
- Los Angeles County, California, is leading the way, accounting for $266.33 billion in food output.
- Cook County in Illinois followed with $167.55 billion
- Harris County in Texas ($144.57 billion)
- New York County in New York ($114.19 billion)
- and Maricopa County in Arizona ($94.18 billion)
When it comes to agriculture, the story is different, with rural areas showing more growth. The top counties for total direct agriculture output were:
- Lawrence County in Illinois ($4.41 billion),
- Kern County in California ($4.12 billion),
- Merced County in California ($3.34 billion),
- Bertie County in North Carolina ($3.32 billion),
- and Monterey County in California ($3.09 billion).
The report’s data also shows that all 50 states displayed increased economic output in the 2023 report compared to the 2022 report, reflecting a rebound in national economic activity. The top-performing counties in each of the highest-growing states, measured by total food and agriculture output, included:
- Honolulu County in Hawaii ($22.61 billion)
- Cass County in North Dakota ($10.06 billion)
- New York County in New York ($114.19 billion)
- Clark County in Nevada ($44.57 billion)
- and Miami-Dade County in Florida ($64.56 billion)
The Feeding the Economy report provides critical insights into the food and agriculture industry’s impact on local economies, supporting the industry’s efforts to create jobs and drive economic growth across the country. The data shows the industry’s significant contributions to the U.S. economy and highlights the importance of supporting and investing in food and agriculture to ensure continued growth and success for all Americans.
Image provided by Feed&Grain.com
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