The US State That Produces The Most Avocados Is Struggling

Avocados need a warm climate to grow, which is why California produces 90% of all avocados grown in the U.S. San Diego County, in particular, is ground zero for domestic avocado production, although the popular Haas avocado, accidentally created by a postman in the 1920s, originally hails from the Los Angeles suburb of La Habra Heights.

On paper, the California avocado industry looks pretty good. For the most recently recorded 2024/2025 growing season, the crop was valued at $470,867,543, which is the third-highest ever. The previous season, however, the crop was worth $523,817,252, so the value actually decreased by about 10%, which is kind of a red flag when you factor in ever-rising avocado prices. So what's going on here? Is it because all the millennials quit eating avocado toast so they could save up for a down payment on a house? California avocado growers say it's more complicated than that.

One of the reasons growers cite is that avocados need a lot of water (between 18 and 34 gallons per tree each day, depending on the season), and water doesn't come cheap in California. Another is the shortage of labor, which has worsened due to government policies that make it difficult to hire migrant workers. Avocados are becoming more expensive to grow all the time, but domestic growers have to compete with avocado importers who are able to charge lower prices. For all of these reasons, avocado farmers are either going out of business or decreasing their acreage. The amount of bearing acres statewide peaked at 76,307 in the 1987/1988 season, but is now down to less than 50,000.

California may produce 90% of the nation's avocados, but it accounts for less than 10% of the fruits we find in the stores (yes, avocados are technically a fruit, not a vegetable). Where do all the other ones come from? Here's a hint: Think of that cute little commercial jingle that starts with "Avocados from ... " Yep, nine out of 10 avocados sold in the U.S. were actually grown in Mexico, although California avocado growers mention that they also face competition from Peru. Approximately 8% of imported avocados come from this South American country.

Most imported avocados were grown in the Mexican state of Michoacán, but in 2022, the U.S. began permitting imports from Jalisco, as well. Peru has been exporting its avocados since 2009, while Colombia joined the party in 2015. All three of these countries rank at the top of the list of avocado-growing nations, with Mexico, in the number one spot, producing over 2.5 million metric tons per year. The U.S., in contrast, comes in 13^th on the list, and may drop even further if growers keep being pushed out of business because avocados cost less to produce in other countries.