Farm operations
274
Avg 362 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CO · FIPS 08027 274 farms Bottom quartile (#50/63) 13% cropland TRACE PASTURE-LED
Custer County, Colorado - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Custer County. Ranked #50 of 63 counties in Colorado.
99K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 13.0% 13K acres
- Other land
- 87.0% 86K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Custer County received $2.72 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.4× the Colorado county median of $6.19.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $2.72
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.19
- Colorado county median per acre
- 0.44×
- Colorado 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.
274 farms · $5.6M sales
Custer County, Colorado reports 274 farms and $5.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2419 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #50 of 63 counties in Colorado; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #50 of 63
- National payments rank #2419 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 4.9%
Commodity sales
$5.6M
0.16× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$270K
4.9% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$-697K
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Custer County's net farm income sits at the 10th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Custer County Farm Data Shows
Custer County, Colorado reported 274 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $5.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $270K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($2.72/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $-697K. In-state sales rank #50 of 63 in Colorado.
Of 99,280 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 12,920 acres (13.0%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Colorado.
Land Use
$2.72 per acre of agricultural land · the median Colorado county receives $6.19. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
99,280 acres
Cropland
12,920 acres
Avg Farm Size
362 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 13.0%
12,920 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 99,280 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 12,920 | 13.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 86,360 | 87.0% |
| Average farm size | 362 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Custer County, Colorado?
Custer County, Colorado has 274 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 362 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Custer County?
Custer County's total commodity sales are $5.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #50 among 63 counties in Colorado.
How much federal farm assistance does Custer County receive?
Custer County received $270K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($2.72/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Custer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Custer County is $-697K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Custer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Custer (TRACE · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE PASTURE-LED
Anoka County, MN · MID
$270K federal receipts is higher by - than Custer; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Bourbon County, KY · TRACE
$271K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Custer; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Hancock County, ME · LIGHT
$271K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Custer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Warren County, NJ · LIGHT
$269K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Custer; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Scott County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Scott sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($2.70) while total receipts differ.
Henry County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Henry sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($2.74) while total receipts differ.
Colorado ERS state roll-up
Custer stamps TRACE · PASTURE-LED inside Colorado's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2419)
Custer ranks #2419 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the TRACE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Custer County, Colorado stamps TRACE · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2419 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Colorado compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Colorado 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.