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Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties report, the only source of detailed production and sales data for floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops for the entire United States. The data show that horticulture operations sold a total of $18.3 billion in floriculture, nursery and specialty crops in 2024.
Horticultural sales in 2024 compared to 2019 all show an increase in sales and number of operations due to the addition of mushroom and hemp grown under protection in the latest Census of Horticultural Specialties. The number of horticulture operations in the United States totaled 23,060.
“First conducted in 1889, the horticulture census provides data on sectors for which there are no other comprehensive data sources,” said NASS Administrator Joseph L. Parsons. “It is a valuable tool to highlight the contribution horticulture growers bring to our local, state, and national economies as well as changes in the industry over the past five years.”
NASS Horticulture production occurred primarily in 10 states, which accounted for 67% of all U.S. horticulture sales in 2024. California ($3.07 billion), Florida ($2.15 billion) and Oregon ($1.29 billion) led the nation in sales.
The top commodities in U.S. horticulture sales in 2024, and compared to 2019, were:
- Nursery stock, $5.34 billion, up 17%
- Annual bedding/garden plants, $2.67 billion, up 19%
- Sod, sprigs and plugs, $1.70 billion, up 34%
- Potted flowering plants, $1.29 billion, up 7%
- Potted herbaceous perennials, $1.36 billion, up 47%
- Propagative horticultural materials, bareroot, and unfinished plant materials, $780 million, up 8%
- Food crops under protection, $1.01 billion, up 44%
Other key findings from the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties report include
- Family- or individually-owned operations made up the largest number of operations, accounting for 56%, but corporate-owned operations accounted for 63% of sales ($11.6 billion).
- Total industry expenses were up 33% since 2019, with labor being the largest cost, accounting for 36% of total expenses in 2024.
The Census of Horticultural Specialties is part of the larger Census of Agriculture program. It provides information on the number and types of establishments engaged in horticultural production, value of sales, varieties of products, production expenses and more. All operations that reported producing and selling $10,000 or more of horticultural crops on the 2022 Census of Agriculture were included in this special study.
For more information and to access the full report, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
USDA news release
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