Farm operations
266
Avg 422 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census AL · FIPS 01113 266 farms Lower-middle (#49/67) 16% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Russell County, Alabama - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Russell County. Ranked #49 of 67 counties in Alabama.
112K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 15.6% 18K acres
- Other land
- 84.4% 95K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Russell County received $6.82 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.7× the Alabama county median of $3.96.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $6.82
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.96
- Alabama county median per acre
- 1.72×
- 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.
266 farms · $29.3M sales
Russell County, Alabama reports 266 farms and $29.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1985 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #49 of 67 counties in Alabama; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #49 of 67
- National payments rank #1985 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.6%
Commodity sales
$29.3M
0.38× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$765K
2.6% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$8.1M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Russell County's net farm income sits at the 34th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Russell County Farm Data Shows
Russell County, Alabama reported 266 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $29.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $765K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($6.82/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $8.1M. In-state sales rank #49 of 67 in Alabama.
Of 112,214 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 17,530 acres (15.6%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Alabama.
Land Use
$6.82 per acre of agricultural land · the median Alabama county receives $3.96. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
112,214 acres
Cropland
17,530 acres
Avg Farm Size
422 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 15.6%
17,530 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 112,214 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 17,530 | 15.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 94,684 | 84.4% |
| Average farm size | 422 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Russell County, Alabama?
Russell County, Alabama has 266 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 422 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Russell County?
Russell County's total commodity sales are $29.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #49 among 67 counties in Alabama.
How much federal farm assistance does Russell County receive?
Russell County received $765K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($6.82/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Russell County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Russell County is $8.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Russell County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Russell (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Baxter County, AR · MID
$765K federal receipts is higher by - than Russell; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Buncombe County, NC · MID
$764K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Russell; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Surry County, VA · HEAVY
$764K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Russell; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Ogemaw County, MI · MID
$763K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Russell; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Aitkin County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Aitkin sits near Russell on payments-per-acre ($6.85) while total receipts differ.
Sebastian County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Sebastian sits near Russell on payments-per-acre ($6.77) while total receipts differ.
Alabama ERS state roll-up
Russell stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Alabama's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1985)
Russell ranks #1985 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Russell County, Alabama stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1985 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- 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.
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.