Farm operations
1,057
Avg 1,266 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06053 1,057 farms Top quartile (#3/58) 27% cropland MID MIXED
Monterey County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Monterey County. Ranked #3 of 58 counties in California.
1.34M acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 27.2% 364K acres
- Other land
- 72.8% 975K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Monterey County received $10.95 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $10.95
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 0.74×
- 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.
1,057 farms · $5.5B sales
Monterey County, California reports 1,057 farms and $5.5B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #130 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #3 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #3 of 58
- National payments rank #130 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.3%
Commodity sales
$5.5B
18.0× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$14.7M
0.3% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$1.6B
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Monterey 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 Monterey County Farm Data Shows
Monterey County, California reported 1,057 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $5.5B in total commodity sales and receiving $14.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($10.95/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $1.6B. In-state sales rank #3 of 58 in California.
Of 1,338,477 acres agricultural land, cropland is 363,670 acres (27.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 1,266 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of California.
Land Use
$10.95 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
1,338,477 acres
Cropland
363,670 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,266 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 27.2%
363,670 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 1,338,477 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 363,670 | 27.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 974,807 | 72.8% |
| Average farm size | 1,266 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Monterey County, California?
Monterey County, California has 1,057 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,266 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Monterey County?
Monterey County's total commodity sales are $5.5B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #3 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does Monterey County receive?
Monterey County received $14.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($10.95/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Monterey County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Monterey County is $1.6B (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Monterey County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Monterey (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Marshall County, SD · DENSE
$14.6M federal receipts is lower by $106K than Monterey; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Texas County, OK · HEAVY
$14.8M federal receipts is higher by $127K than Monterey; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Sioux County, IA · DENSE
$14.8M federal receipts is higher by $184K than Monterey; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Kandiyohi County, MN · DENSE
$14.9M federal receipts is higher by $229K than Monterey; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Phillips County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Phillips sits near Monterey on payments-per-acre ($11.33) while total receipts differ.
Logan County (MID $/acre pole)
Logan sits near Monterey on payments-per-acre ($10.56) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
Monterey stamps MID · MIXED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#130)
Monterey ranks #130 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
Monterey County, California stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #130 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.