California's Millions of Pounds of Pumpkins Are Mostly for Show
When you think of California agriculture, pumpkins might not be the first crop that comes to mind. But with Halloween approaching, they're certainly getting their moment in the spotlight.
According to the USDA, California produced approximately 162 million pounds of pumpkins in 2025, ranking second in the nation.
And pumpkin production is spread across the country. Illinois, California, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania together account for nearly 72 percent of the nation's crop.
But here's where California's pumpkin industry gets interesting.
While some states grow pumpkins for processing into products like canned pumpkin and pie filling, California's crop is overwhelmingly focused on the fresh and ornamental markets.
According to USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture, less than one percent of California's pumpkin acreage was devoted to processing.
That leaves more than 99 percent for fresh-market and ornamental uses, including pumpkins sold for carving, decorating, and direct consumption.
Nationwide, farmers produced approximately 1.47 billion pounds of pumpkins last year.
