Farm operations
4,031
Avg 44 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06073 4,031 farms Upper-middle (#15/58) 31% cropland DENSE MIXED
San Diego County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for San Diego County. Ranked #15 of 58 counties in California.
179K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 30.9% 55K acres
- Other land
- 69.1% 124K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
San Diego County received $46.48 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 3.2× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $46.48
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 3.16×
- 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.
4,031 farms · $1.1B sales
San Diego County, California reports 4,031 farms and $1.1B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #338 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #15 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #15 of 58
- National payments rank #338 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$1.1B
3.6× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$8.3M
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$166.2M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- San Diego County's net farm income sits at the 94th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the San Diego County Farm Data Shows
San Diego County, California reported 4,031 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $1.1B in total commodity sales and receiving $8.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($46.48/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $166.2M. In-state sales rank #15 of 58 in California.
Of 179,330 acres agricultural land, cropland is 55,411 acres (30.9%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 44 acres. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of California.
Land Use
$46.48 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
179,330 acres
Cropland
55,411 acres
Avg Farm Size
44 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 30.9%
55,411 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 179,330 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 55,411 | 30.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 123,919 | 69.1% |
| Average farm size | 44 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in San Diego County, California?
San Diego County, California has 4,031 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 44 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of San Diego County?
San Diego County's total commodity sales are $1.1B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #15 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does San Diego County receive?
San Diego County received $8.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($46.48/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in San Diego County?
Net cash farm income for operations in San Diego County is $166.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with San Diego County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for San Diego (DENSE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE MIXED
Polk County, FL · HEAVY
$8.3M federal receipts is higher by - than San Diego; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Glasscock County, TX · HEAVY
$8.3M federal receipts is higher by $2K than San Diego; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Berrien County, MI · DENSE
$8.3M federal receipts is higher by $6K than San Diego; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Klickitat County, WA · HEAVY
$8.3M federal receipts is lower by $22K than San Diego; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Pitt County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Pitt sits near San Diego on payments-per-acre ($45.84) while total receipts differ.
Lincoln County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Lincoln sits near San Diego on payments-per-acre ($48.17) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
San Diego stamps DENSE · MIXED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#338)
San Diego ranks #338 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
San Diego County, California stamps DENSE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #338 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.