The ERS farm income and costs program measures, forecasts, and explains indicators of economic performance for the U.S. farm sector and major crop and livestock farm groups. The program's analyses and data are used by USDA and other clients in both the public and private sector to form a perspective about the financial health of the U.S. agricultural economy. Distributional analyses identify subsectors and business types that are performing well relative to past trends and to other groups and types of farms.

Financial performance measures assess the farm sector's receipts and expenses; net income variations in farm income by farm size and other categorizations; and changes in the sector's wealth holdings. Each of these measures, and combinations of measures, help summarize the financial position of the farm sector. ERS publishes estimates and forecasts of farm income and wealth based on responses to USDA's annual Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), as well as other sector-level information. See

• A discussion of farm income and cost estimates and forecasts for the agricultural sector.
• Data tables for the farm income forecast and State farm sector estimates (including costs).
• The Agricultural Income and Finance Outlook report for historical estimates and forecasts of farm sector financial information.         
• Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) Data that underpin much of the farm income forecast and estimates.
• ERS forecasts and estimates farm household income and well-being.

Last updated: Tuesday, August 28, 2012

For more information contact: Theodore Covey