Pennsylvania produces second most pumpkins annually of any state, study finds

Pennsylvania produces the second largest number of pumpkins of any state and contains the largest number of individual pumpkin farms, a study by career expert firm Zippia found.

The study revealed that Pennsylvania is home to 1,305 pumpkin farms. Only Illinois produces more pumpkins annually than Pennsylvania but with only 572 farms.

Pennsylvania pumpkin farms total 6,871 acres, second only to 17,399 acres in Illinois. New York follows in third place with 5,592 acres devoted to pumpkin farming. 

Zippia determined the number of farms used for pumpkin production in each state by looking at data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture. The Census determined where the most pumpkins were grown by ranking each state based on its pumpkin acreage.

While Illinois grows the most pumpkins, Pennsylvania pumpkins make more money per pound. In 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that Pennsylvania farmers grew more than $13 million worth  of pumpkins, according to PennLive.

Pennsylvania pumpkins can earn around $21 per 100 pounds, which is three times as much money as the average Illinois pumpkin crop. This is because Pennsylvania’s pumpkins are mainly grown for the fall and Halloween decoration market, while Illinois grows pumpkins that get processed and canned.

Pumpkin growing is a billion-dollar industry. According to Finder, Americans are expected to spend approximately 17 percent more on Halloween pumpkins this year than last, totaling over $600 million just in Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin sales. 

The University of Washington School of Medicine called outdoor activities like pumpkin picking a fun fall activity to do to destress during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This fall, students at Penn have reported Zoom fatigue from their online studies, and hundreds of students have signed a petition asking for Penn to reinstate fall break. There are a number of pumpkin farms close to Penn's campus, including Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch at Sugartown Strawberries.