Horticulture operations in the United States reported $18.3 billion in 2024 sales across the USDA Census of Horticultural Specialties scope. The census counted 23,060 operations, while related labor-market data show how landscaping, groundskeeping, tree care, and vegetation-application occupations connect to the broader field.
Key Horticulture Statistics
The most useful headline measures are:
- In 2024, 23,060 U.S. horticulture operations reported $18.3 billion in sales.
- From 2019 to 2024, U.S. horticulture sales increased 33%, from $13.8 billion to $18.3 billion.
- From 2019 to 2024, the number of U.S. horticulture operations increased 12%, from 20,655 to 23,060.
- In 2024, average sales were $794,000 per U.S. horticulture operation, compared with $667,000 in 2019.
- In 2024, nursery stock sales reached $5.34 billion in the United States.
- In 2024, annual bedding and garden plants generated $2.67 billion in U.S. sales.
- In 2024, sod, sprigs, and plugs generated $1.70 billion in U.S. sales.
- In 2024, labor was the largest reported horticulture production expense at $5.571 billion.
- In 2024, operations with at least $2.5 million in sales represented 6% of operations but 75% of sales.
- In 2024, wholesale sales were $6.329 billion, or 35% of total U.S. horticulture sales.
- In 2024, family- or individually-owned operations represented 56% of U.S. horticulture operations.
- In 2024, corporate-owned operations accounted for 63% of U.S. horticulture sales, or $11.6 billion.
- In May 2024, BLS estimated 943,430 landscaping and groundskeeping workers in the United States.
- In May 2024, the annual mean wage was $40,880 for U.S. landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
- In May 2025, the median hourly wage for U.S. grounds-maintenance workers was $19.27.
- In 2024, the 10 leading states accounted for 67% of U.S. horticulture sales.
- In 2024, California horticulture sales were $3.07 billion, while Florida sales were $2.15 billion.
Contents
- Key Horticulture Statistics
- U.S. Horticulture Industry Scale and Five-Year Trends
- Horticulture Sales by Crop Category and Nursery Stock
- Horticulture Production Expenses and Business Size
- Horticulture Marketing Channels and Ownership
- Horticulture Workforce Employment and Wages
- Regional Horticulture Sales and Labor Measures
U.S. Horticulture Industry Scale and Five-Year Trends
The USDA’s 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties covers floriculture, nursery, and specialty crops. It is not a measure of every horticultural activity or all agricultural production.
The census recorded this five-year change in the national industry:
| Measure | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horticulture operations | 20,655 | 23,060 | 12% increase |
| Total sales | $13.8 billion | $18.3 billion | 33% increase |
| Average sales per operation | $667,000 | $794,000 | 19% increase |
| Production expenses | $11.6 billion | $15.4 billion | 33% increase |
| Operations with hired workers | 14,861 | 15,382 | 4% increase |
| Hired workers | 242,695 | 248,827 | 3% increase |
Source: Horticulture: Results from the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties. The 2024 census added mushroom and hemp grown under protection, affecting comparisons with 2019; dollar figures are nominal, not inflation-adjusted, and the worker count is a census count rather than an annual-average employment series.
The increase in average sales is a reported average, not a median. It is also affected by the changing census scope, so it should not be read as a typical operation’s individual growth rate.
Horticulture Sales by Crop Category and Nursery Stock
Nursery stock was the largest named crop category in the 2024 USDA release, with $5.34 billion in sales and a 17% increase from 2019. Other major categories show different growth rates across plants, turf materials, and protected-culture food crops.
| Crop category | 2024 U.S. sales | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery stock | $5.34 billion | 17% |
| Annual bedding and garden plants | $2.67 billion | 19% |
| Sod, sprigs, and plugs | $1.70 billion | 34% |
| Potted flowering plants | $1.29 billion | 7% |
| Potted herbaceous perennials | $1.36 billion | 47% |
| Food crops grown under protection | $1.01 billion | 44% |
| Propagative materials, bareroot, and unfinished plants | $780 million | 8% |
Source: U.S. Horticulture Operations Report $18.3 Billion in Sales. Protected-culture food crops are a specific category, not all food production.
Within nursery stock, broadleaf evergreens led with $965 million in 2024 sales. The other reported subcategories were coniferous evergreens at $873 million, deciduous shrubs at $854 million, deciduous shade trees at $837 million, fruit and nut plants at $812 million, and deciduous flowering trees at $430 million.
The USDA’s detailed census report adds that coniferous evergreen sales rose 34% from 2019, deciduous shrub sales rose 27%, deciduous shade-tree sales rose 18%, fruit and nut plant sales rose 10%, and deciduous flowering-tree sales rose 14%. Total nursery-stock sales were $5.339 billion, a rounded presentation of the same category total.
Horticulture Production Expenses and Business Size
Production costs were $15.4 billion in 2024, up 33% from $11.6 billion in 2019. USDA expense categories identify labor, inputs, utilities, repairs, and financing-related costs, but they exclude nonproduction business costs outside the census definition.
| Reported production expense | 2024 U.S. amount | Change since 2019 where reported |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | $5.571 billion | — |
| Seeds, growing media, and containers | $4.042 billion | 39% |
| Fuel, utilities, supplies, and repairs | $2.033 billion | 49% |
| Fertilizer and chemicals | $1.038 billion | 54% |
| Rent, interest, and taxes | $946 million | — |
Source: Horticulture: Results from the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties. Expense changes are nominal and the source’s rounded values may not reconcile exactly.
Business size was highly concentrated by sales class. Operations with $10,000–$99,999 in sales represented 61% of all operations in 2024, while operations with at least $2.5 million represented 6%.
The $2.5 million-plus class accounted for 75% of total sales and 71% of reported expenses. These figures describe the distribution of operations, sales, and expenses by census sales class; they do not provide profit margins.
Horticulture Marketing Channels and Ownership
Wholesale distribution was the largest reported marketing channel in 2024. Wholesale sales totaled $6.329 billion, or 35% of total horticulture sales.
| Marketing channel | 2024 U.S. sales or share |
|---|---|
| Wholesale | $6.329 billion; 35% of total sales |
| Home-improvement stores | $2.191 billion |
| Retail florists | $2.166 billion |
| Landscape contractors | $2.089 billion |
| All direct-to-consumer sales | 18% of total sales |
Source: Horticulture: Results from the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties. Marketing-channel sales are reported by operations and can include multiple channels; direct-to-consumer is an aggregate category, not just online sales.
Ownership patterns show a different relationship between operation counts and sales. Family- or individually-owned operations represented 56% of U.S. horticulture operations in 2024, while corporate-owned operations accounted for 63% of sales, or $11.6 billion.
Ownership is a legal-status classification. The contrast does not by itself measure profitability, productivity, staffing, or the number of locations operated by a business.
Horticulture Workforce Employment and Wages
BLS occupational statistics provide related labor-market measures rather than a direct census of horticultural-farm labor. In May 2024, BLS estimated 943,430 landscaping and groundskeeping workers and 25,200 vegetation pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators in the United States.
| Related occupation or group | Period | Employment or wage measure |
|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | May 2024 | 943,430 employed; $40,880 annual mean wage |
| Vegetation pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators | May 2024 | 25,200 employed; $45,960 annual mean wage |
| All grounds-maintenance workers | May 2025 | $19.27 median hourly wage |
| Lowest-paid 10% of grounds-maintenance workers | May 2025 | Less than $15.01 per hour |
| Highest-paid 10% of grounds-maintenance workers | May 2025 | More than $28.10 per hour |
Sources: Data tables for the overview of May 2024 occupational employment and wages and Grounds Maintenance Workers: Occupational Outlook Handbook. The May 2024 figures are estimates, and the occupations are broader than horticultural production.
Among grounds-maintenance suboccupations in May 2025, tree trimmers and pruners had a $24.50 median hourly wage, compared with $18.82 for landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Median and mean wages answer different questions and should not be combined as if they were the same measure.
The USDA’s 2019–2024 census comparison separately counted hired horticulture workers, rising from 242,695 to 248,827, a 3% increase. That census measure and the BLS occupation estimates use different populations and methods.
Regional Horticulture Sales and Labor Measures
Horticulture sales were concentrated geographically in 2024: the 10 leading states accounted for 67% of all U.S. horticulture sales. California led the named states at $3.07 billion, followed by Florida at $2.15 billion and Oregon at $1.29 billion.
| Geography | Measure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| California | $3.07 billion horticulture sales | 2024 |
| Florida | $2.15 billion horticulture sales | 2024 |
| Oregon | $1.29 billion horticulture sales | 2024 |
| Ten leading states | 67% of U.S. horticulture sales | 2024 |
Source: U.S. Horticulture Operations Report $18.3 Billion in Sales. State sales cover all census-defined horticulture sales in each state.
BLS state wage estimates for landscaping and groundskeeping workers also varied. In May 2024, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia each reported a $49,130 annual mean wage, California reported $46,120, South Dakota reported $33,900, and West Virginia reported $32,310.
These state wage figures are occupational estimates, not horticultural-production wages. They should be interpreted separately from USDA state sales totals because the geography, population, measurement method, and period are not identical.
The USDA cautions that the 2024 census added mushroom and hemp grown under protection, which affects 2019 comparisons. Across the article, USDA dollar figures are nominal reported sales or expenses, while BLS employment and wage figures are estimates for related occupations rather than a direct count of every horticulture worker.