Farm operations
385
Avg 141 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census AL · FIPS 01117 385 farms Bottom quartile (#56/67) 33% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Shelby County, Alabama - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Shelby County. Ranked #56 of 67 counties in Alabama.
54K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 33.0% 18K acres
- Other land
- 67.0% 36K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Shelby County received $5.27 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.
- $5.27
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.96
- Alabama county median per acre
- 1.33×
- 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.
385 farms · $24.2M sales
Shelby County, Alabama reports 385 farms and $24.2M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2402 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #56 of 67 counties in Alabama; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #56 of 67
- National payments rank #2402 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.2%
Commodity sales
$24.2M
0.31× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$286K
1.2% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$4.2M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Shelby County's net farm income sits at the 27th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Shelby County Farm Data Shows
Shelby County, Alabama reported 385 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $24.2M in total commodity sales and receiving $286K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($5.27/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $4.2M. In-state sales rank #56 of 67 in Alabama.
Of 54,230 acres agricultural land, cropland is 17,910 acres (33.0%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 141 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Alabama.
Land Use
$5.27 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
54,230 acres
Cropland
17,910 acres
Avg Farm Size
141 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 33.0%
17,910 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 54,230 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 17,910 | 33.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 36,320 | 67.0% |
| Average farm size | 141 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Shelby County, Alabama?
Shelby County, Alabama has 385 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 141 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Shelby County?
Shelby County's total commodity sales are $24.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #56 among 67 counties in Alabama.
How much federal farm assistance does Shelby County receive?
Shelby County received $286K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($5.27/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Shelby County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Shelby County is $4.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Shelby County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Shelby (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Lackawanna County, PA · MID
$286K federal receipts is higher by - than Shelby; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Buckingham County, VA · LIGHT
$286K federal receipts is higher by - than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Lincoln County, KY · TRACE
$284K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
King County, WA · LIGHT
$288K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Prince Edward County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Prince Edward sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($5.23) while total receipts differ.
Houston County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Houston sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($5.32) while total receipts differ.
Alabama ERS state roll-up
Shelby stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside Alabama's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2402)
Shelby ranks #2402 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
Shelby County, Alabama stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2402 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.