25 Statistics on Backyard Beekeeping You Want To Know

Backyard beekeeping has emerged as a cornerstone hobby blending sustainability, self sufficiency, and environmental stewardship.

As more families embrace off grid living and urban homesteading, keeping bees not only provides fresh honey but also boosts pollination for vegetable gardens and orchards. Pollinators provide about one of every three bites of food we eat, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

This article rounds up 25 backyard beekeeping statistics from USDA, the Apiary Inspectors of America, Project Apis m. and other primary sources, updated with the latest 2026 releases. After record colony losses in 2024-2025, losses eased in 2025-2026, but backyard hives were hit hardest. Understanding these numbers helps you keep your own hives healthy.

Key numbers at a glance

Honey and Hive Numbers in the US

1. The US had 2.41 million honey-producing colonies in 2025, down 7% from 2024 (USDA NASS).
2. Those colonies produced 116 million pounds of honey in 2025, down 14% from 134 million pounds the year before (USDA NASS).
3. The average colony produced 48.0 pounds of honey in 2025, down 7% (USDA NASS).
4. US honey production was worth about $352.9 million in 2025 (USDA NASS).
5. Operations with five or more colonies had 2.81 million colonies on January 1, 2026 and 2.84 million on April 1, 2026 (USDA NASS Honey Bee Colonies).
6. New York City legalized backyard beekeeping in 2010, opening the door for rooftop and backyard hives in the biggest US city.

Colony Loss and Challenges in Homesteading Beekeeping

7. Beekeepers lost an estimated 39.9% of managed honey bee colonies between April 2025 and April 2026, according to preliminary results, below the 15-year average of 42.3% (Apiary Inspectors of America).
8. That is a big improvement on the record 55.6% lost between April 2024 and April 2025, the highest since tracking began (Apiary Inspectors of America).
9. Winter losses for 2025-2026 were 30.3%, down from a record 40.2% the winter before, and summer losses were 23.3% (Apiary Inspectors of America).
10. Backyard beekeepers with 50 colonies or fewer lost 54.8% of their colonies over 2025-2026, compared with 38.7% for commercial beekeepers with more than 500 colonies (Apiary Inspectors of America).
11. USDA counted 454,890 colonies lost from January to March 2026, or 16% of colonies on operations with five or more hives (USDA NASS).
12. Varroa mites affected 21.8% of colonies from January to March 2026, and they were the number one stressor in every quarter of 2025 (USDA NASS).
13. In the record 2024-2025 season, a Project Apis m. survey estimated respondents lost 1.12 million colonies, an economic loss of about $634.7 million (Honey Bee Health Coalition).

Pollination Facts

14. Pollinators provide about one of every three bites of food we eat, and bees do most of that work (Smithsonian’s National Zoo).
15. Honey bees alone support about $15 billion worth of US crops each year (Smithsonian’s National Zoo).
16. About 75% of the world’s food crops depend at least in part on pollinators (World Economic Forum, citing the FAO).
17. Bees visit around two million flowers to make a single pound of honey (Cornell CALS).

Economic and Homestead Benefits

18. The average price of honey jumped to $3.05 a pound in 2025, up 27% from $2.41 in 2024, which makes local honey sales more worthwhile for backyard beekeepers (USDA NASS).
19. In a good year a strong colony can make upwards of 100 pounds of honey (Cornell CALS), though the US average in 2025 was 48.0 pounds (USDA NASS).
20. Producers held 34.8 million pounds of honey in stock on December 15, 2025, down 15% from a year earlier, so there is less honey sitting in warehouses (USDA NASS).

Trends to Watch

21. Backyard hives are having a harder time than commercial ones: backyard summer losses were 35.4% in 2025, well above the backyard 15-year summer average of 21.2% (Apiary Inspectors of America).
22. Many local rules treat bees as livestock, so check your city and HOA rules before setting up a backyard hive.
23. Colony numbers bounced back to 2.84 million by April 1, 2026, a sign that beekeepers are splitting and replacing hives quickly to make up for losses (USDA NASS).
24. Backyard beekeepers made up 94.8% of the 2,327 beekeepers in the 2025-2026 survey, while sideline and commercial beekeepers managed about 95% of the colonies counted (Apiary Inspectors of America).
25. The annual loss rate has averaged 42.3% over 15 years of surveys, and 49.1% for backyard beekeepers, so even a normal year means many beekeepers replace close to half their colonies (Apiary Inspectors of America).

Conclusion: Buzzing Forward in Homesteading Beekeeping

These 25 statistics show both sides of backyard beekeeping: heavy colony losses, especially in small backyard apiaries, and a hobby that still feeds gardens and families, with honey prices at their highest in years. As colony health challenges persist, homesteaders can do well by staying on top of mite control and learning from experienced local beekeepers.

Start with a class or local club to join the buzz, enhancing your garden’s productivity and sustainability. For more, explore resources like the Apiary Inspectors of America. With proper care, beekeeping transforms homesteads into thriving ecosystems.

Frequently Asked Questions