Farm operations
928
Avg 200 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census AL · FIPS 01089 Upper-middle by state sales LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Madison County, Alabama - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Madison County. Ranked #30 of 67 counties in Alabama.
185,472 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 75.0% 139,102 acres
- Other land
- 25.0% 46,370 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Madison County received $5.16 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.3× the Alabama county median of $3.96.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $5.16
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.96
- Alabama county median per acre
- 1.30×
- Alabama median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Madison County, Alabama is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp LIGHT; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$111.7M
1.4× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$957K
0.9% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$23.4M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Madison County's net farm income sits at the 52th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Madison County Farm Data Shows
Madison County, Alabama reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with LIGHT federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 75% or more of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; payments per agricultural acre fall in the second-lowest national quintile, $3.41 to $6.98 an acre, which is light federal support for the land base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 67 of 67 Alabama counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 65 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 62 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Alabama.
Read with Madison County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Madison (LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
New Castle County, DE · HEAVY
$955K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Madison; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Washington County, WI · MID
$959K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Madison; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Gallatin County, IL · LIGHT
$960K federal receipts is higher by $3K than Madison; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Pope County, IL · HEAVY
$953K federal receipts is lower by $4K than Madison; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Douglas County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Douglas sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($5.14) while total receipts differ.
Pine County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Pine sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($5.24) while total receipts differ.
Alabama ERS state roll-up
Madison stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY inside Alabama's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Madison under the LIGHT intensity band.
What to do with this
From Madison County, Alabama, these three pages are the natural next reads:
- See how Alabama compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Alabama state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Madison County, Alabama?
Madison County, Alabama has 928 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 200 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Madison County?
Madison County's total commodity sales are $111.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #30 among 67 counties in Alabama.
How much federal farm assistance does Madison County receive?
Madison County received $957K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($5.16/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Madison County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Madison County is $23.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Alabama
67 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp LIGHT · land stamp CROP-HEAVY (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.