Farm operations
1,714
Avg 542 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CO · FIPS 08039 1,714 farms Upper-middle (#27/63) 18% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Elbert County, Colorado - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Elbert County. Ranked #27 of 63 counties in Colorado.
929K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 17.6% 164K acres
- Other land
- 82.4% 766K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Elbert County received $4.54 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the Colorado county median of $6.19.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.54
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.19
- Colorado county median per acre
- 0.73×
- 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.
1,714 farms · $47.1M sales
Elbert County, Colorado reports 1,714 farms and $47.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #735 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #27 of 63 counties in Colorado; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #27 of 63
- National payments rank #735 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 8.9%
Commodity sales
$47.1M
1.3× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$4.2M
8.9% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$-9.9M
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Elbert County's net farm income sits at the 2th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Elbert County Farm Data Shows
Elbert County, Colorado reported 1,714 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $47.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.54/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $-9.9M. In-state sales rank #27 of 63 in Colorado.
Of 929,434 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 163,715 acres (17.6%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Colorado.
Land Use
$4.54 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
929,434 acres
Cropland
163,715 acres
Avg Farm Size
542 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 17.6%
163,715 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 929,434 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 163,715 | 17.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 765,719 | 82.4% |
| Average farm size | 542 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Elbert County, Colorado?
Elbert County, Colorado has 1,714 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 542 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Elbert County?
Elbert County's total commodity sales are $47.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #27 among 63 counties in Colorado.
How much federal farm assistance does Elbert County receive?
Elbert County received $4.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.54/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Elbert County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Elbert County is $-9.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Elbert County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Elbert (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Evangeline County, LA · DENSE
$4.2M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Elbert; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Laclede County, MO · HEAVY
$4.2M federal receipts is higher by $5K than Elbert; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Mariposa County, CA · HEAVY
$4.2M federal receipts is higher by $7K than Elbert; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Dakota County, NE · DENSE
$4.2M federal receipts is higher by $8K than Elbert; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Dawes County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Dawes sits near Elbert on payments-per-acre ($4.53) while total receipts differ.
Harding County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Harding sits near Elbert on payments-per-acre ($4.50) while total receipts differ.
Colorado ERS state roll-up
Elbert stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Colorado's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#735)
Elbert ranks #735 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Elbert County, Colorado stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #735 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.