Farm operations
836
Avg 466 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census FL · FIPS 12055 836 farms Top quartile (#14/67) 21% cropland MID PASTURE-LED
Highlands County, Florida - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Highlands County. Ranked #14 of 67 counties in Florida.
390K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 20.8% 81K acres
- Other land
- 79.2% 309K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Highlands County received $7.22 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Florida county median of $7.22.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $7.22
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.22
- Florida county median per acre
- 1.00×
- Florida 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.
836 farms · $225.5M sales
Highlands County, Florida reports 836 farms and $225.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1076 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #14 of 67 counties in Florida; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #14 of 67
- National payments rank #1076 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.2%
Commodity sales
$225.5M
3.4× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$2.8M
1.2% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$45.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Highlands County's net farm income sits at the 66th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Highlands County Farm Data Shows
Highlands County, Florida reported 836 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $225.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.8M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($7.22/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $45.6M. In-state sales rank #14 of 67 in Florida.
Of 389,622 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 80,896 acres (20.8%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Florida.
Land Use
$7.22 per acre of agricultural land · the median Florida county receives $7.22. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
389,622 acres
Cropland
80,896 acres
Avg Farm Size
466 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 20.8%
80,896 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 389,622 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 80,896 | 20.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 308,726 | 79.2% |
| Average farm size | 466 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Highlands County, Florida?
Highlands County, Florida has 836 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 466 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Highlands County?
Highlands County's total commodity sales are $225.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #14 among 67 counties in Florida.
How much federal farm assistance does Highlands County receive?
Highlands County received $2.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($7.22/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Highlands County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Highlands County is $45.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Highlands County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Highlands (MID · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID PASTURE-LED
Saline County, NE · MID
$2.8M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Highlands; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Freestone County, TX · MID
$2.8M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Highlands; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Mcculloch County, TX · LIGHT
$2.8M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Highlands; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Calloway County, KY · DENSE
$2.8M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Highlands; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Otoe County (MID $/acre pole)
Otoe sits near Highlands on payments-per-acre ($7.24) while total receipts differ.
Darke County (MID $/acre pole)
Darke sits near Highlands on payments-per-acre ($7.13) while total receipts differ.
Florida ERS state roll-up
Highlands stamps MID · PASTURE-LED inside Florida's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1076)
Highlands ranks #1076 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Highlands County, Florida stamps MID · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1076 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Florida compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Florida 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.