Farm operations
446
Avg 249 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census AR · FIPS 05061 446 farms Top quartile (#8/75) 25% cropland MID PASTURE-LED
Howard County, Arkansas - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Howard County. Ranked #8 of 75 counties in Arkansas.
111K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 24.8% 28K acres
- Other land
- 75.2% 83K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Howard County received $11.09 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.9× the Arkansas county median of $11.71.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $11.09
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $11.71
- Arkansas county median per acre
- 0.95×
- Arkansas 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.
446 farms · $352.4M sales
Howard County, Arkansas reports 446 farms and $352.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1702 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #8 of 75 counties in Arkansas; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #8 of 75
- National payments rank #1702 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.3%
Commodity sales
$352.4M
2.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.2M
0.3% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$141.5M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Howard County's net farm income sits at the 91th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Howard County Farm Data Shows
Howard County, Arkansas reported 446 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $352.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($11.09/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $141.5M. In-state sales rank #8 of 75 in Arkansas.
Of 110,927 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 27,537 acres (24.8%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Arkansas.
Land Use
$11.09 per acre of agricultural land · the median Arkansas county receives $11.71. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
110,927 acres
Cropland
27,537 acres
Avg Farm Size
249 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 24.8%
27,537 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 110,927 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 27,537 | 24.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 83,390 | 75.2% |
| Average farm size | 249 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Howard County, Arkansas?
Howard County, Arkansas has 446 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 249 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Howard County?
Howard County's total commodity sales are $352.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #8 among 75 counties in Arkansas.
How much federal farm assistance does Howard County receive?
Howard County received $1.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($11.09/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Howard County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Howard County is $141.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Howard County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Howard (MID · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID PASTURE-LED
Wayne County, IN · MID
$1.2M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Howard; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Lauderdale County, AL · LIGHT
$1.2M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Howard; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Prentiss County, MS · MID
$1.2M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Howard; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Morrow County, OH · MID
$1.2M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Howard; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Stanly County (MID $/acre pole)
Stanly sits near Howard on payments-per-acre ($11.07) while total receipts differ.
Carroll County (MID $/acre pole)
Carroll sits near Howard on payments-per-acre ($11.12) while total receipts differ.
Arkansas ERS state roll-up
Howard stamps MID · PASTURE-LED inside Arkansas's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1702)
Howard ranks #1702 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Howard County, Arkansas stamps MID · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1702 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Arkansas compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Arkansas 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.