Farm operations
2,184
Avg 422 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06079 2,184 farms Top quartile (#14/58) 25% cropland HEAVY MIXED
San Luis Obispo County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for San Luis Obispo County. Ranked #14 of 58 counties in California.
921K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 25.2% 232K acres
- Other land
- 74.8% 689K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
San Luis Obispo County received $12.10 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.8× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.10
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 0.82×
- 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.
2,184 farms · $1.2B sales
San Luis Obispo County, California reports 2,184 farms and $1.2B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #215 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #14 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #14 of 58
- National payments rank #215 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.9%
Commodity sales
$1.2B
3.9× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$11.2M
0.9% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$168.3M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo County Farm Data Shows
San Luis Obispo County, California reported 2,184 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $1.2B in total commodity sales and receiving $11.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.10/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $168.3M. In-state sales rank #14 of 58 in California.
Of 921,300 acres agricultural land, cropland is 231,838 acres (25.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 422 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of California.
Land Use
$12.10 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
921,300 acres
Cropland
231,838 acres
Avg Farm Size
422 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 25.2%
231,838 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 921,300 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 231,838 | 25.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 689,462 | 74.8% |
| Average farm size | 422 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in San Luis Obispo County, California?
San Luis Obispo County, California has 2,184 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 422 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County's total commodity sales are $1.2B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #14 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does San Luis Obispo County receive?
San Luis Obispo County received $11.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.10/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in San Luis Obispo County?
Net cash farm income for operations in San Luis Obispo County is $168.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with San Luis Obispo County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for San Luis Obispo (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
Wallace County, KS · DENSE
$11.1M federal receipts is lower by $5K than San Luis Obispo; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Acadia County, LA · DENSE
$11.2M federal receipts is higher by $10K than San Luis Obispo; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Palo Alto County, IA · DENSE
$11.2M federal receipts is higher by $83K than San Luis Obispo; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Sutter County, CA · DENSE
$11.1M federal receipts is lower by $89K than San Luis Obispo; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Jackson County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Jackson sits near San Luis Obispo on payments-per-acre ($12.10) while total receipts differ.
Dunn County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Dunn sits near San Luis Obispo on payments-per-acre ($12.32) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
San Luis Obispo stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#215)
San Luis Obispo ranks #215 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
San Luis Obispo County, California stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #215 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.