Farm operations
2,047
Avg 426 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06047 2,047 farms Top quartile (#5/58) 63% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Merced County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Merced County. Ranked #5 of 58 counties in California.
872K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 63.1% 551K acres
- Other land
- 36.9% 322K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Merced County received $37.96 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.6× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $37.96
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 2.58×
- 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.
2,047 farms · $4.0B sales
Merced County, California reports 2,047 farms and $4.0B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #15 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #5 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #5 of 58
- National payments rank #15 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$4.0B
13.1× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$33.1M
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$731.3M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Merced County's net farm income sits at the 100th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Merced County Farm Data Shows
Merced County, California reported 2,047 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $4.0B in total commodity sales and receiving $33.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($37.96/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $731.3M. In-state sales rank #5 of 58 in California.
Of 872,326 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 550,570 acres (63.1%) - 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
$37.96 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
872,326 acres
Cropland
550,570 acres
Avg Farm Size
426 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 63.1%
550,570 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 872,326 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 550,570 | 63.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 321,756 | 36.9% |
| Average farm size | 426 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Merced County, California?
Merced County, California has 2,047 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 426 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Merced County?
Merced County's total commodity sales are $4.0B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #5 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does Merced County receive?
Merced County received $33.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($37.96/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Merced County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Merced County is $731.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Merced County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Merced (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Meade County, SD · HEAVY
$33.3M federal receipts is higher by $210K than Merced; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Whitman County, WA · DENSE
$32.7M federal receipts is lower by $382K than Merced; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
San Joaquin County, CA · DENSE
$33.6M federal receipts is higher by $476K than Merced; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Grand Forks County, ND · DENSE
$33.8M federal receipts is higher by $673K than Merced; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Barnes County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Barnes sits near Merced on payments-per-acre ($37.95) while total receipts differ.
Fresno County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Fresno sits near Merced on payments-per-acre ($38.23) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
Merced stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#15)
Merced ranks #15 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
Merced County, California stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #15 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.