Regional Benchmarking

USDA Zones 6–9 benchmarks, with the receipts

Yield, price, season length, and sustainability benchmarks for USDA hardiness zones 6, 7, 8, and 9 — each one published with its dataset, link, sample, and formula. Every figure below carries its exact dataset title, a direct link, the publication year, the geography, the crop definition, the sample, the formula, and whether it is observed, modeled, or estimated.

Zones 6 · 7 · 8 · 95 metrics published

How to read these numbers

Observed — reported directly by the cited dataset (NOAA station normals, USDA AMS terminal reports).
Modeled — output of a published model, or arithmetic on two other cited figures.
Estimated — derived with a judgement call, such as one state standing in for a whole hardiness zone.
A metric with no citable dataset behind it is withheld rather than published. The Census of Agriculture is quinquennial (2017, 2022) — we never cite a 2025 edition.
The BAU comparison column is unpublished until pilot field records are large enough to state a sample size and formula for.

Yield & productivity

Output per acre, growing season, harvest cycles

Avg yield per acre

Vegetable production per harvested acre, computed from NASS state tables

Zone 6

18,305 lbs/acre

Zone 7

15,411 lbs/acre

Zone 8

20,666 lbs/acre

Zone 9

18,588 lbs/acre

EstimatedUSDA NASS Vegetables 2024 Summary (released February 2025), state tables vege_all_tables.csv

Growing season length

Frost-free days available for outdoor production

Zone 6

—

Zone 7

195 days

Zone 8

220 days

Zone 9

245 days

ObservedNOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991-2020), Freeze/Frost Date Normals

Pricing & revenue

Wholesale prices, revenue per acre, CSA pricing

Avg grower price per lb

Season-average price received by growers, farmgate

Zone 6

$0.23

Zone 7

$0.20

Zone 8

$0.29

Zone 9

$0.41

EstimatedUSDA NASS Vegetables 2024 Summary (released February 2025), state tables vege_all_tables.csv

Revenue per acre

Gross crop value per harvested acre, before any costs

Zone 6

$4,118

Zone 7

$3,112

Zone 8

$6,023

Zone 9

$7,544

EstimatedUSDA NASS Vegetables 2024 Summary (released February 2025), state tables vege_all_tables.csv

Sustainability

Carbon, water, and soil-health indicators

Carbon sequestered

Estimated soil carbon sequestration per acre per year

Zone 6

—

Zone 7

0.8 tCO2e/acre/yr

Zone 8

1.1 tCO2e/acre/yr

Zone 9

1.4 tCO2e/acre/yr

ModeledUSDA NRCS COMET-Planner: Conservation Practice Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Estimates

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Your state's own numbers

USDA publishes state vegetable figures only for the bigger producing states. Where it does, your farm pages use your state's numbers instead of the zone figure. A state built on one or two crops reads very differently from one with many, so check the crop list. Other states keep the zone figure above.

State	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Revenue ($/acre)	Crops counted
Arizona	28,964	$0.46	$13,392	Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower, Head Lettuce, Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce
California	29,129	$0.48	$13,957	Artichokes, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chile Peppers, Cucumbers, Garlic, Head Lettuce, Honeydew, Kale, Leaf Lettuce, Onion, Pumpkins, Romaine Lettuce, Snap Beans, Squash, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato
Florida	13,319	$0.47	$6,208	Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Snap Beans, Squash, Sweet Corn
Georgia	16,101	$0.45	$7,228	Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Cucumbers, Onion, Snap Beans, Squash, Sweet Corn
Illinois	22,072	$0.08	$1,688	Pumpkins, Snap Beans, Sweet Corn
Indiana	22,320	$0.26	$5,770	Pumpkins
Michigan	15,369	$0.20	$3,114	Asparagus, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Snap Beans, Squash
Mississippi	11,928	$0.22	$2,598	Sweet Potato
New Jersey	19,355	$0.67	$12,920	Bell Peppers, Squash
New Mexico	37,926	$0.45	$16,995	Chile Peppers, Onion
New York	18,305	$0.23	$4,118	Beets, Cabbage, Green Peas, Onion, Pumpkins, Snap Beans, Squash, Sweet Corn
North Carolina	14,981	$0.21	$3,173	Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Squash, Sweet Potato
Ohio	13,996	$0.26	$3,638	Pumpkins
Oregon	31,500	$0.17	$5,255	Green Peas, Onion, Snap Beans, Squash, Sweet Corn
Pennsylvania	11,312	$0.28	$3,131	Pumpkins, Snap Beans
Texas	18,994	$0.34	$6,504	Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Cucumbers, Onion
Virginia	11,396	$0.27	$3,124	Pumpkins
Washington	29,346	$0.17	$4,970	Green Peas, Onion, Pumpkins, Sweet Corn
Oklahoma	—	—	$4,674	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Kentucky	—	—	$7,527	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Tennessee	—	—	$7,707	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Kansas	—	—	$6,846	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Missouri	—	—	$5,084	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Colorado	—	—	$5,976	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Alabama	—	—	$6,036	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Arkansas	—	—	$4,599	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Connecticut	—	—	$7,705	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Delaware	—	—	$4,091	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Louisiana	—	—	$4,477	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Maryland	—	—	$4,940	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Massachusetts	—	—	$7,383	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Nevada	—	—	$8,415	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
New Hampshire	—	—	$7,964	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Rhode Island	—	—	$7,369	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
South Carolina	—	—	$5,873	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)
Utah	—	—	$8,185	All vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes (Census total)

Sources: USDA NASS Vegetables 2024 Summary (released February 2025), state tables vege_all_tables.csv, 2024 figures. Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado have no NASS state vegetable rows, so their revenue figure comes from the USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture, Table 1 state highlights (vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes: value of sales / acres harvested for sale, 2022) (2022; the Census prints no yield or price per pound, so those columns stay on the zone figure).

Crop by crop

Each crop's own yield and price in each state, straight from USDA's 2024 crop tables — no averaging across crops.

Arizona

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Broccoli	12,500	11,500	$0.75	$8,590
Cabbage	3,700	54,500	$0.35	$18,857
Cantaloupes	16,200	22,500	$0.31	$7,042
Cauliflower	6,300	18,500	$1.31	$24,235
Head Lettuce	26,800	40,000	$0.40	$15,920
Leaf Lettuce	11,400	18,500	$0.75	$13,875
Romaine Lettuce	26,000	33,500	$0.40	$13,434

Source: USDA NASS Vegetables 2024 Summary, state-by-crop tables (area harvested, yield per acre, price per cwt), 2024. Fresh-market and processing sales combined, as USDA reports them; prices are what growers received.

California

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Artichokes	4,200	16,000	$1.01	$16,160
Beets	3,900	23,000	$0.80	$18,400
Bell Peppers	10,000	41,000	$0.68	$27,880
Broccoli	86,500	14,000	$0.81	$11,382
Cabbage	15,500	36,500	$0.51	$18,761
Cantaloupes	24,200	26,000	$0.27	$6,994
Carrots	51,000	35,500	$0.61	$21,726
Cauliflower	35,900	20,500	$0.63	$12,812
Celery	26,400	56,500	$0.24	$13,504
Chile Peppers	2,200	44,000	$0.23	$10,076
Cucumbers	7,200	15,500	$0.32	$4,976
Garlic	25,200	14,500	$0.58	$8,482
Head Lettuce	82,800	37,500	$0.40	$15,038
Honeydew	9,000	29,000	$0.32	$9,164
Kale	5,900	16,500	$0.81	$13,332
Leaf Lettuce	63,800	22,000	$0.79	$17,380
Onion	40,600	50,000	$0.27	$13,450
Pumpkins	4,700	22,500	$0.26	$5,782
Romaine Lettuce	90,600	33,500	$0.43	$14,505
Snap Beans	6,900	9,500	$1.25	$11,875
Squash	6,600	22,000	$0.40	$8,844
Sweet Corn	23,800	18,000	$0.42	$7,488
Sweet Potato	18,000	29,500	$0.42	$12,449
Tomatoes	238,700	96,000	$0.07	$6,902

Florida

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Bell Peppers	11,900	27,000	$0.63	$16,983
Cabbage	6,900	34,000	$0.29	$9,724
Cucumbers	17,000	14,000	$0.22	$3,108
Snap Beans	32,300	5,200	$0.53	$2,772
Squash	6,900	11,500	$0.53	$6,049
Sweet Corn	45,000	13,000	$0.52	$6,812
Tomatoes	23,200	27,500	$0.52	$14,410

Georgia

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Bell Peppers	3,600	26,000	$0.55	$14,378
Cabbage	4,200	38,000	$0.19	$7,144
Cantaloupes	1,800	28,000	$0.27	$7,560
Cucumbers	5,700	16,000	$0.26	$4,160
Onion	11,700	22,500	$0.61	$13,680
Snap Beans	7,500	3,900	$0.53	$2,051
Squash	3,600	14,000	$0.47	$6,524
Sweet Corn	23,700	11,000	$0.50	$5,500

Illinois

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Pumpkins	15,400	31,500	$0.04	$1,342
Snap Beans	6,400	8,100	$0.23	$1,839
Sweet Corn	8,300	15,500	$0.14	$2,232

Indiana

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Pumpkins	7,100	22,500	$0.26	$5,805

Michigan

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Asparagus	7,500	3,600	$0.91	$3,272
Bell Peppers	1,800	29,000	$0.52	$15,080
Cabbage	3,800	52,000	$0.17	$8,788
Cucumbers	33,900	12,500	$0.13	$1,588
Pumpkins	5,100	20,500	$0.16	$3,321
Snap Beans	7,400	10,500	$0.24	$2,572
Squash	7,300	20,000	$0.23	$4,600

Mississippi

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Sweet Potato	31,500	12,000	$0.22	$2,616

New Jersey

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Bell Peppers	2,200	30,500	$0.79	$24,004
Squash	2,900	11,000	$0.41	$4,565

New Mexico

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Chile Peppers	8,000	13,000	$0.50	$6,526
Onion	5,700	73,000	$0.43	$31,755

New York

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Beets	2,800	33,500	$0.10	$3,417
Cabbage	6,200	48,000	$0.21	$10,176
Green Peas	7,600	4,740	$0.15	$692
Onion	6,800	39,000	$0.35	$13,533
Pumpkins	4,000	11,500	$0.26	$3,013
Snap Beans	14,400	8,300	$0.38	$3,187
Squash	3,800	21,000	$0.17	$3,675
Sweet Corn	20,500	13,500	$0.11	$1,539

North Carolina

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Bell Peppers	1,800	20,500	$0.44	$9,102
Cabbage	2,500	30,000	$0.21	$6,360
Cucumbers	8,000	14,500	$0.21	$3,016
Pumpkins	4,100	11,000	$0.36	$3,993
Squash	3,400	9,500	$0.37	$3,506
Sweet Potato	86,500	15,000	$0.20	$2,955

Ohio

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Pumpkins	4,500	15,000	$0.26	$3,900

Oregon

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Green Peas	10,300	3,100	$0.15	$477
Onion	22,200	64,100	$0.18	$11,730
Snap Beans	7,300	12,000	$0.16	$1,896
Squash	3,100	17,500	$0.16	$2,818
Sweet Corn	20,900	20,000	$0.11	$2,280

Pennsylvania

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Pumpkins	6,800	16,000	$0.30	$4,736
Snap Beans	6,100	6,200	$0.22	$1,376

Texas

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Cabbage	4,200	21,000	$0.29	$6,090
Cantaloupes	1,900	10,000	$0.28	$2,830
Cucumbers	5,200	12,500	$0.30	$3,775
Onion	9,500	23,500	$0.38	$8,930

Virginia

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Pumpkins	4,700	11,500	$0.27	$3,151

Washington

Crop	Acres	Yield (lb/acre)	Price ($/lb)	Sales ($/acre)
Green Peas	32,600	6,450	$0.17	$1,064
Onion	26,800	79,500	$0.23	$17,967
Pumpkins	3,000	19,000	$0.50	$9,500
Sweet Corn	61,500	20,500	$0.06	$1,242