The Business of Pumpkins in Pennsylvania

Every five years, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts a comprehensive survey documenting what crops are grown across the United States. The most recent survey was conducted in 2022, with data released in 2024. In between those big efforts, NASS also collects annual data on major crops like corn and soybeans … and pumpkins. Yes—pumpkins.

Pumpkins are big business in the United States, and Pennsylvania consistently ranks among the leaders. According to the five-year survey, more than 6,800 acres of pumpkins are grown in the Commonwealth across 1,102 farms. Lancaster County leads the way with 212 farms producing pumpkins, followed by York County (62) and Chester County (53). But what makes Pennsylvania especially interesting is the widespread pumpkin production. Pumpkins are grown in 66 of the state's 67 counties, even in the heavily forested counties of the northern tier.

Annual data collected by USDA’s Economic Research Service continues to show Pennsylvania ranking near the top nationally in several pumpkin-related categories, based on the most recent (2025) surveys. Notably, the Commonwealth ranks first in farm price received for pumpkins. I suspect geography plays a big role, specifically our proximity to enormous population centers. 

When I ask growers at winter meetings which is the largest nearby city, the typical response is New York City. That makes sense. The city has about nine million residents, and the New York metropolitan area approaches 20 million. But I'd argue the market is even larger than that. Look at a nighttime satellite image of the Northeast. From Boston to Baltimore, it looks like one continuous city—suburbs, small cities, and major metropolitan areas all blending together. This "Northeast Corridor" or megalopolis represents a massive concentration of consumers, and Pennsylvania growers have excellent access to it. That matters when you're selling pumpkins.

In other categories, however, Pennsylvania trends toward the bottom compared to the top-producing states—sometimes by wide margins. For example, Illinois leads the nation with about 485 million pounds of pumpkins produced, followed by Pennsylvania with 109 million. But those figures can be misleading. Illinois primarily grows Cucurbita moschata pumpkins for the processing market—about 69% go into canned products (think pumpkin pie filling). In contrast, about 98% of Pennsylvania's pumpkins are grown for the decorative market, and the majority grown are Cucurbita pepo. 

One area where Pennsylvania consistently ranks lower than other top states is yield per acre. This pattern shows up year after year, making it harder to pin on the weather alone. It raises an interesting question: could soil type be part of the story? 

This article benefited from editorial assistance provided by Microsoft Copilot