Farm operations
356
Avg 437 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IL · FIPS 17129 Bottom quartile by state sales HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Menard County, Illinois - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Menard County. Ranked #78 of 102 counties in Illinois.
155,670 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 84.2% 131,093 acres
- Other land
- 15.8% 24,577 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Menard County received $11.92 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Illinois county median of $12.05.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $11.92
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.05
- Illinois county median per acre
- 0.99×
- 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, Menard 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 below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$137.6M
0.58× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$1.9M
1.3% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$54.4M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Menard County's net farm income sits at the 71th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Menard County Farm Data Shows
Menard 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 Menard County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Menard (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Chippewa County, WI · LIGHT
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by - than Menard; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Dauphin County, PA · DENSE
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Menard; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Wilson County, TX · LIGHT
$1.9M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Menard; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Andrew County, MO · HEAVY
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Menard; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
ST Clair County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
ST Clair sits near Menard on payments-per-acre ($11.95) while total receipts differ.
Ashland County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Ashland sits near Menard on payments-per-acre ($11.89) while total receipts differ.
Illinois ERS state roll-up
Menard 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 Menard under the HEAVY intensity band.
What to do with this
From Menard County, Illinois, these three pages are the natural next reads:
- 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 Menard County, Illinois?
Menard County, Illinois has 356 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 437 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Menard County?
Menard County's total commodity sales are $137.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #78 among 102 counties in Illinois.
How much federal farm assistance does Menard County receive?
Menard County received $1.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($11.92/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Menard County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Menard County is $54.4M (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.