Farm operations
671
Avg 339 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IL · FIPS 17025 Lower-middle by state sales HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Clay County, Illinois - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Clay County. Ranked #69 of 102 counties in Illinois.
227,457 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 82.2% 187,059 acres
- Other land
- 17.8% 40,398 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Clay County received $15.07 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.3× the Illinois county median of $12.05.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.07
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.05
- Illinois county median per acre
- 1.25×
- Illinois 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Clay County, Illinois is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp HEAVY; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows above-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$168.9M
0.71× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$3.4M
2.0% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$52.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Clay County's net farm income sits at the 70th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Clay County Farm Data Shows
Clay County, Illinois reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with HEAVY federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 75% or more of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; payments per agricultural acre fall in the second-highest national quintile, $11.30 to $18.39 an acre, heavy federal support relative to the acreage.
The state comparisons on this page use the 102 of 102 Illinois counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 100 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 102 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Illinois.
Read with Clay County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Clay (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Sedgwick County, KS · MID
$3.4M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Clay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Marion County, OH · HEAVY
$3.4M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Clay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Kingman County, KS · MID
$3.4M federal receipts is lower by $8K than Clay; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Warren County, KY · HEAVY
$3.4M federal receipts is higher by $8K than Clay; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Scotland County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Scotland sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($15.09) while total receipts differ.
Schuyler County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Schuyler sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($14.94) while total receipts differ.
Illinois ERS state roll-up
Clay stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Illinois's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Clay under the HEAVY intensity band.
What to do with this
Where to go after Clay County, Illinois:
- See how Illinois compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Illinois 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Clay County, Illinois?
Clay County, Illinois has 671 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 339 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Clay County?
Clay County's total commodity sales are $168.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #69 among 102 counties in Illinois.
How much federal farm assistance does Clay County receive?
Clay County received $3.4M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.07/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Clay County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Clay County is $52.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Illinois
102 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp HEAVY · land stamp CROP-HEAVY (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
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.