Farm operations
1,053
Avg 249 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census DE · FIPS 10005 1,053 farms 79% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Sussex County, Delaware - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Sussex County. Ranked #1 of 3 counties in Delaware.
262K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 78.9% 207K acres
- Other land
- 21.1% 55K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Sussex County received $11.39 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Delaware county median of $11.39.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $11.39
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $11.39
- Delaware county median per acre
- 1.00×
- Delaware 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.
1,053 farms · $1.4B sales
Sussex County, Delaware reports 1,053 farms and $1.4B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1033 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #1 of 3 counties in Delaware; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #1 of 3
- National payments rank #1033 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.2%
Commodity sales
$1.4B
2.5× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$3.0M
0.2% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$612.9M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Sussex County's net farm income sits at the 100th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Sussex County Farm Data Shows
Sussex County, Delaware reported 1,053 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $1.4B in total commodity sales and receiving $3.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($11.39/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $612.9M. In-state sales rank #1 of 3 in Delaware.
Of 262,079 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 206,899 acres (78.9%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Delaware.
Land Use
$11.39 per acre of agricultural land · the median Delaware county receives $11.39. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
262,079 acres
Cropland
206,899 acres
Avg Farm Size
249 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 78.9%
206,899 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 262,079 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 206,899 | 78.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 55,180 | 21.1% |
| Average farm size | 249 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Sussex County, Delaware?
Sussex County, Delaware has 1,053 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 249 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Sussex County?
Sussex County's total commodity sales are $1.4B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #1 among 3 counties in Delaware.
How much federal farm assistance does Sussex County receive?
Sussex County received $3.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($11.39/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Sussex County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Sussex County is $612.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Sussex County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Sussex (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Pike County, MO · MID
$3.0M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Sussex; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Okmulgee County, OK · MID
$3.0M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Sussex; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Collin County, TX · HEAVY
$3.0M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Sussex; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Winnebago County, IL · HEAVY
$3.0M federal receipts is higher by $7K than Sussex; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Jasper County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Jasper sits near Sussex on payments-per-acre ($11.40) while total receipts differ.
Rogers County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Rogers sits near Sussex on payments-per-acre ($11.36) while total receipts differ.
Delaware ERS state roll-up
Sussex stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Delaware's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1033)
Sussex ranks #1033 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
Sussex County, Delaware stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1033 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Delaware compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Delaware 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.