Farm operations
614
Avg 78 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CA · FIPS 06087 614 farms Upper-middle (#18/58) 46% cropland DENSE MIXED
Santa Cruz County, California - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Santa Cruz County. Ranked #18 of 58 counties in California.
48K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 45.9% 22K acres
- Other land
- 54.1% 26K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Santa Cruz County received $25.11 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.7× the California county median of $14.73.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $25.11
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $14.73
- California county median per acre
- 1.70×
- 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.
614 farms · $706.2M sales
Santa Cruz County, California reports 614 farms and $706.2M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1724 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #18 of 58 counties in California; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #18 of 58
- National payments rank #1724 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.2%
Commodity sales
$706.2M
2.3× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.2M
0.2% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$139.5M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Santa Cruz County's net farm income sits at the 91th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Santa Cruz County Farm Data Shows
Santa Cruz County, California reported 614 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $706.2M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($25.11/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $139.5M. In-state sales rank #18 of 58 in California.
Of 47,871 acres agricultural land, cropland is 21,984 acres (45.9%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 78 acres. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of California.
Land Use
$25.11 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
47,871 acres
Cropland
21,984 acres
Avg Farm Size
78 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 45.9%
21,984 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 47,871 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 21,984 | 45.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 25,887 | 54.1% |
| Average farm size | 78 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Santa Cruz County, California?
Santa Cruz County, California has 614 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 78 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County's total commodity sales are $706.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #18 among 58 counties in California.
How much federal farm assistance does Santa Cruz County receive?
Santa Cruz County received $1.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($25.11/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Santa Cruz County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Santa Cruz County is $139.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Santa Cruz County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Santa Cruz (DENSE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE MIXED
Lexington County, SC · HEAVY
$1.2M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Santa Cruz; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Fairfield County, OH · LIGHT
$1.2M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Santa Cruz; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Benzie County, MI · DENSE
$1.2M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Santa Cruz; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Carbon County, UT · LIGHT
$1.2M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Santa Cruz; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Wheeler County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Wheeler sits near Santa Cruz on payments-per-acre ($25.10) while total receipts differ.
Wayne County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Wayne sits near Santa Cruz on payments-per-acre ($24.58) while total receipts differ.
California ERS state roll-up
Santa Cruz stamps DENSE · MIXED inside California's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1724)
Santa Cruz ranks #1724 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
Santa Cruz County, California stamps DENSE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1724 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.