Statistics: Trends in American Farming

 

Percentage of Labor Force in Agriculture

1860

53%

1870

52%

1880

51%

1890

43%

1900

40%

1910

31%

1920

26%

1930

21%


 

Farming Profession

 

Number of Farms (in thousands)

Proportion of Total Population

1940

6,350

23.1%

1950

5,648

15.2%

1960

3,963

8.7%

1970

2,949

4.7%

1980

2,428

2.7%


 

US Population

Year

Total Population (in millions)

Rural

Urban

1870

40

74%

26%

1880

50

72%

28%

1890

63

65%

35%

1900

76

60%

40%

 

Questions for discussion

  1. When did the steepest decline take place in the proportion of American workers earning their livelihood in agriculture?
  2. How did rural growth compare with urban growth?