Farm operations
321
Avg 1,452 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census CO · FIPS 08103 321 farms Lower-middle (#38/63) 9% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Rio Blanco County, Colorado - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Rio Blanco County. Ranked #38 of 63 counties in Colorado.
466K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 9.4% 44K acres
- Other land
- 90.6% 422K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Rio Blanco County received $4.55 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.
- $4.55
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.19
- Colorado county median per acre
- 0.74×
- 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.
321 farms · $23.2M sales
Rio Blanco County, Colorado reports 321 farms and $23.2M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1306 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #38 of 63 counties in Colorado; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #38 of 63
- National payments rank #1306 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 9.1%
Commodity sales
$23.2M
0.65× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$2.1M
9.1% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$1.5M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Rio Blanco County's net farm income sits at the 20th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Rio Blanco County Farm Data Shows
Rio Blanco County, Colorado reported 321 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $23.2M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.55/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $1.5M. In-state sales rank #38 of 63 in Colorado.
Of 466,136 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 43,637 acres (9.4%) - 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
$4.55 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
466,136 acres
Cropland
43,637 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,452 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 9.4%
43,637 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 466,136 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 43,637 | 9.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 422,499 | 90.6% |
| Average farm size | 1,452 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Rio Blanco County, Colorado?
Rio Blanco County, Colorado has 321 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,452 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Rio Blanco County?
Rio Blanco County's total commodity sales are $23.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #38 among 63 counties in Colorado.
How much federal farm assistance does Rio Blanco County receive?
Rio Blanco County received $2.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.55/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Rio Blanco County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Rio Blanco County is $1.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Rio Blanco County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Rio Blanco (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Scott County, MO · MID
$2.1M federal receipts is higher by - than Rio Blanco; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Hinds County, MS · MID
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Rio Blanco; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Kaufman County, TX · MID
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $7K than Rio Blanco; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Breckinridge County, KY · MID
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $10K than Rio Blanco; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Jewell County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Jewell sits near Rio Blanco on payments-per-acre ($4.42) while total receipts differ.
Lyon County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Lyon sits near Rio Blanco on payments-per-acre ($4.41) while total receipts differ.
Colorado ERS state roll-up
Rio Blanco stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Colorado's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1306)
Rio Blanco ranks #1306 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
Rio Blanco County, Colorado stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1306 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.