Farmers market statistics at a glance
Farmers markets are one of the clearest snapshots of local food demand, and the numbers show a market that has expanded, matured, and diversified over time.
The biggest signal is scale: USDA counted 8,140 farmers markets in 2019 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary), while USDA said in 2024 that it connected consumers to producers at over 8,600 farmers markets nationwide through the National Farmers Market Directory (USDA Farmers Market page).
Fast facts
- The number of farmers markets grew from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019 (USDA ERS chart on farmers markets).
- That works out to nearly 7% average annual growth from 1994 to 2019 (USDA ERS chart on farmers markets).
- Growth slowed to below 1% per year between 2016 and 2017 (USDA ERS chart on farmers markets).
- On an average market day, 916 households shopped across U.S. farmers markets (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average market day sales reached $14,547 per farmers market (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Table of contents
- Farmers market growth statistics
- Farmers market seasonality and operating patterns
- What farmers markets sell
- Nutrition benefits, incentives, and programs
- Market operations, governance, and funding
- Vendor mix and participation
- Direct-to-consumer sales context
Farmers market growth statistics
The long-run trend is straightforward: farmers markets became far more common over time, then entered a slower-growth phase as the category matured.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Farmers markets in 1994 | 1,755 | USDA ERS chart on farmers markets |
| Farmers markets in 2019 | 8,771 | USDA ERS chart on farmers markets |
| Farmers markets counted in 2019 | 8,140 | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Average annual growth, 1994 to 2019 | Nearly 7% | USDA ERS chart on farmers markets |
| Growth rate, 2016 to 2017 | Below 1% | USDA ERS chart on farmers markets |
| Farmers markets in 2024 directory coverage | Over 8,600 | USDA Farmers Market page |
Big number: the jump from 1,755 markets in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019 (USDA ERS chart on farmers markets) represents a large structural shift in local food access, not a temporary spike.
That growth matters because farmers markets are not just retail points. They are also distribution hubs, community spaces, and often a visible channel for local branding, nutrition programs, and direct producer-to-consumer sales.
Why the growth curve matters
A market that grows nearly 7% annually for a long stretch usually signals several things happening at once:
- more consumer demand for local products,
- more producers seeking direct sales,
- more municipalities or organizations willing to host markets,
- and more infrastructure built around market operations.
The slowdown below 1% between 2016 and 2017 (USDA ERS chart on farmers markets) suggests the category may have been moving from expansion mode into consolidation mode. That does not mean the market stopped being important. It means the most obvious phase of rapid geographic spread had already happened.
Farmers market seasonality and operating patterns
Farmers markets are highly seasonal, but the seasonality is not evenly distributed across the calendar.
| Month | Share of markets operating | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July | 71.9% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| August | 71.8% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| September | 69.1% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| June | 68.8% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| October | 51.1% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Year-round markets | 21.0% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
At a glance: summer is the core season, with July and August just ahead of the pack at 71.9% and 71.8% of markets operating (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
That pattern is useful for anyone thinking about staffing, promotions, inventory planning, or local tourism tie-ins. It also helps explain why markets often look busier in midsummer even when year-round markets are available.
Common days of operation
- Saturday was the most common day of operation at 52.4% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Sunday was the least common day at 10.6% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
This gap is not trivial. It shows that farmers markets are often built around weekend consumer traffic, but the market calendar is still flexible enough to support weekday or alternative schedules.
What the seasonality suggests
A typical farmers market calendar has three clear layers:
- peak summer intensity,
- shoulder-season operations in spring and fall,
- a smaller year-round segment that keeps activity going outside the main harvest window.
That structure helps explain why local food systems often depend on complementary channels as well, including farms, stands, and online market options.
What farmers markets sell
Product mix is one of the strongest signals of what shoppers can expect from a farmers market, and the 2019 summary shows a broad offering with a very strong core category.
- Fruits and vegetables were sold at 99.6% of markets (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Condiments and sauce were sold at 94.1% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Locally grown labeling appeared at nearly 84.7% of markets (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Gluten-free labeling appeared at 46.1% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Grass-fed labeling appeared at 46.0% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- USDA-certified organic labeling appeared at 39.4% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Free-range labeling appeared at 45.8% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Certified humane labeling appeared at 9.6% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Markets with no listed label category totaled 4.9% (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Product and label mix table
| Category | Share of markets | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fruits and vegetables | 99.6% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Condiments and sauce | 94.1% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Locally grown labeling | 84.7% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Gluten-free labeling | 46.1% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Grass-fed labeling | 46.0% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Free-range labeling | 45.8% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| USDA-certified organic labeling | 39.4% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
| Certified humane labeling | 9.6% | National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary |
The table shows a familiar pattern: produce is nearly universal, while label claims vary much more widely. That matters because farmers markets are often used as discovery environments. Shoppers may arrive for fruits and vegetables and then move outward into specialty products, value-added foods, or labeled goods.
Nutrition benefits, incentives, and programs
Farmers markets are not only a sales channel. They are also a common access point for public nutrition programs.
Market-level participation
- 4,076 farmers markets accepted federal nutrition programs in 2019 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 4,064 markets did not accept federal nutrition programs in 2019 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Of markets that accepted federal nutrition benefits, 78.7% accepted SNAP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 58.0% accepted the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 56.9% accepted the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 26.3% accepted WIC Cash Value Vouchers (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 14.9% accepted another federal nutrition benefit (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Producer/vendor participation in those programs
- 4,352 individual producer/vendors accepted federal nutrition program benefits (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 3,788 individual producer/vendors did not accept such benefits (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Among those vendors, 55.9% accepted SNAP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 66.7% accepted WIC FMNP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 66.3% accepted SFMNP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 29.7% accepted WIC CVV (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 5.4% accepted another program (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Incentives and matching programs
- 2,827 markets offered matching or incentive programs (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 5,313 markets did not offer matching or incentive programs (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Among markets with incentives, 77.8% linked them to SNAP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 20.8% linked incentives to WIC FMNP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 18.2% linked incentives to SFMNP (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 9.7% linked incentives to WIC CVV (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 7.1% linked incentives to fruit and vegetable prescriptions (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 23.2% linked incentives to other programs (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Why it matters: these numbers show that farmers markets are often embedded in a broader nutrition-access system, not just a simple open-air retail format.
Market operations, governance, and funding
Farmers markets have real operational complexity. The data on governance, budgets, and funding sources shows that many markets function more like small institutions than casual weekend setups.
Governance and decision-making
- 5,695 markets had a board or group of persons that collectively made decisions (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 2,445 markets did not have such a board or group (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 83.7% of markets possessed written by-laws (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 16.3% did not possess written by-laws (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 5,979 markets governed themselves (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 2,161 markets were governed by another entity (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Among self-governing markets:
- 65.6% were nonprofit legal entities (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 21.0% were for-profit legal entities (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 8.1% were government entities (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 5.3% had other legal statuses (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Among markets governed by another entity:
- 32.6% had organizational membership (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 67.4% did not have organizational membership (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Funding sources
- 3,882 markets had an annual operating budget (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 4,258 markets did not have an annual operating budget (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 62.6% of funding sources came from producer/vendor fees (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 10.8% came from grant awards (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 9.4% came from public sponsorships (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 7.7% came from other sources (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 4.3% came from private donations (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 3.5% came from fundraisers (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Average annual funding by source:
- $31,672 from producer/vendor fees (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- $15,189 from grant awards (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- $13,378 from public sponsorships (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- $16,881 from other sources (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- $6,687 from private donations (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- $9,426 from fundraisers (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Fees and market access
- 6,389 producer/vendors were charged fees to sell (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 1,751 producer/vendors were not charged fees to sell (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Of producer/vendor fees, 74.4% were flat rate (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 21.3% were based on stall size (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 12.4% were based on percentage of sales (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 9.7% used other fee structures (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 35.2% of markets had an annual membership or application fee (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 64.8% did not have an annual membership or application fee (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Vendor mix and participation
The average farmers market has a vendor mix that is broader than many people expect.
- Average peak-day vendor count was 25 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors who sold products they produced was 14 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average returning vendors per market day was 23 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling milk and dairy was 2 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling bread and baked goods was 3 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling fruit and vegetables was 9 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling meat, seafood, and eggs was 3 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling condiments and sauces was 3 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling beverages was 3 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling plants was 3 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average vendors selling other food products and miscellaneous items was 7 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
Commercial relationships beyond consumer sales
- Average vendors who sold to intermediaries and institutions was 5 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- Average buyers from intermediaries and institutions was 14 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 43.9% of markets reported bartering or other forms of non-monetary trade (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 36.8% of markets increased the number of producers/vendors on the average market day from 2018 to 2019 (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
- 51.8% stayed the same and 11.4% decreased (National Farmers Market Managers 2019 Summary).
That mix shows a market format with both breadth and stability. The vendor count is large enough to create variety, but the returning-vendor figure suggests a meaningful core of continuity from week to week.
Direct-to-consumer sales context
Farmers markets are only one part of the broader direct farm sales landscape, but the scale is still significant.
- Farmers markets accounted for $514 million in direct-to-consumer sales in 2020 (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- On-farm stores or stands accounted for $1.231 billion in 2020 direct-to-consumer sales (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Online markets accounted for $312 million (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Community Supported Agriculture accounted for $225 million (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Roadside stands away from the farm accounted for $252 million (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Other direct-to-consumer channels accounted for $415 million (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Direct-to-consumer sales totaled $2.9 billion in 2020 (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- Direct farm sales to consumers, retailers, institutions, and intermediaries totaled $9.0 billion in 2020 (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- 77% of farms with direct sales sold directly to consumers (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- 42% of farms selling directly to consumers sold fresh food products (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- 75% sold processed or value-added products (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- 40,675 farms sold food to institutions and intermediary businesses in 2020 (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
- 56% of their sales were fresh commodities (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey).
How farmers markets fit inside that picture
Farmers markets are not the biggest direct-sales channel by dollar value, but they are a visible one. The $514 million figure for farmers markets in 2020 (USDA Local Food Marketing Practices Survey) is meaningful because it sits alongside larger channels such as on-farm stores or stands, and it still represents a substantial slice of the direct-to-consumer economy.
They also appear to be part of a wider selling ecosystem in which farms combine consumer sales, institutional sales, and intermediary relationships. That makes farmers markets especially important as a public-facing anchor for local food systems.