Farm operations
1,255
Avg 553 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06039 1,255 farms Top quartile (#12/58) 56% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Madera County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Madera County. Ranked #12 of 58 counties in California.
694K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 56.3% 391K acres
- Other land
- 43.7% 303K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Madera County received $19.95 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.4× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $19.95
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 1.35×
- California 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.
1,255 farms · $2.0B sales
Madera County, California reports 1,255 farms and $2.0B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #143 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #12 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #12 of 58
- National payments rank #143 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.7%
Commodity sales
$2.0B
6.6× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$13.8M
0.7% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$425.4M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Madera County's net farm income sits at the 99th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Madera County Farm Data Shows
Madera County, California reported 1,255 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $2.0B in total commodity sales and receiving $13.8M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($19.95/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $425.4M. In-state sales rank #12 of 58 in California.
Of 693,611 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 390,554 acres (56.3%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of California.
Land Use
$19.95 per acre of agricultural land · the median California county receives $14.73. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
693,611 acres
Cropland
390,554 acres
Avg Farm Size
553 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 56.3%
390,554 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 693,611 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 390,554 | 56.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 303,057 | 43.7% |
| Average farm size | 553 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Madera County, California?
Madera County, California has 1,255 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 553 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Madera County?
Madera County's total commodity sales are $2.0B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #12 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does Madera County receive?
Madera County received $13.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($19.95/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Madera County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Madera County is $425.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Madera County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Madera (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Kossuth County, IA · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Madera; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Morrison County, MN · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $7K than Madera; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Knox County, NE · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $35K than Madera; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Yoakum County, TX · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $43K than Madera; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Kings County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Kings sits near Madera on payments-per-acre ($19.96) while total receipts differ.
Daniels County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Daniels sits near Madera on payments-per-acre ($19.99) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
Madera stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#143)
Madera ranks #143 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Madera County, California stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #143 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how California compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. California 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.