Farmers' markets, which sell produce grown by local farmers, are a growing trend in the United States. Produce from farmers' markets is often fresher because it hasn’t traveled for days or even weeks in trucks and planes. This means tastier, more nutritious produce for you—and less environmental impact as well. Plus, buying from nearby farmers makes the local economy stronger. How common are farmers' markets in the different U.S. states?
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| State | Farmers' Markets per 100,000 Residents |
|---|
| Alabama | 3.1 |
| Alaska | 4.4 |
| Arizona | 1.3 |
| Arkansas | 2.7 |
| California | 2.2 |
| Colorado | 3.2 |
| Connecticut | 4.3 |
| Delaware | 3.5 |
| District of Columbia | 5.7 |
| Florida | 1.1 |
| Georgia | 1.2 |
| Hawaii | 6.4 |
| Idaho | 4.2 |
| Illinois | 2.3 |
| Indiana | 2.5 |
| Iowa | 7.5 |
| Kansas | 3.4 |
| Kentucky | 3.7 |
| Louisiana | 1.4 |
| Maine | 6.3 |
| Maryland | 2.6 |
| Massachusetts | 4.4 |
| Michigan | 3.2 |
| Minnesota | 3.2 |
| Mississippi | 2.5 |
| Missouri | 2.6 |
| Montana | 6.5 |
| Nebraska | 4.6 |
| Nevada | 1.5 |
| New Hampshire | 7.3 |
| New Jersey | 1.5 |
| New Mexico | 3.3 |
| New York | 3.3 |
| North Carolina | 2.2 |
| North Dakota | 9.5 |
| Ohio | 2.3 |
| Oklahoma | 1.9 |
| Oregon | 4.2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2.0 |
| Rhode Island | 5.8 |
| South Carolina | 2.7 |
| South Dakota | 4.6 |
| Tennessee | 1.5 |
| Texas | 0.7 |
| Utah | 1.3 |
| Vermont | 15.0 |
| Virginia | 2.8 |
| Washington | 2.1 |
| West Virginia | 4.4 |
| Wisconsin | 5.2 |
| Wyoming | 7.6 |
This particular group of data has three modes, 1.5, 3.2, and 4.4. Why do you think this happened? Do you think knowing the mode will help you understand the distribution of farmers' markets in the United States?
The mode is not particularly useful to understanding this set of data. The “Farmers' Markets per 100,000 Residents” quantity for each state is the result of a calculation (take the state’s population, divide by 100,000, and then divide the result into the total number of farmers' markets in the state). So the numbers in the table are already a kind of average. The fact that three of the numbers appeared more frequently than others is more of a random occurrence than anything else. The median of 3.2 is a better measure of central tendency.
The data sets used in these examples were obtained from public domain and third-party sources, and are intended for educational purposes only. All facts and figures may become inaccurate, out-of-date, or subject to revision without notice.
Photo: red tomatoes, © Fotokostic/Shutterstock.