Farm operations
548
Avg 383 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IN · FIPS 18145 548 farms Upper-middle (#36/92) 95% cropland MID CROP-HEAVY
Shelby County, Indiana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Shelby County. Ranked #36 of 92 counties in Indiana.
210K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 94.9% 199K acres
- Other land
- 5.1% 11K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Shelby County received $9.39 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.4× the Indiana county median of $6.68.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $9.39
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.68
- Indiana county median per acre
- 1.40×
- Indiana 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.
548 farms · $208.2M sales
Shelby County, Indiana reports 548 farms and $208.2M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1365 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #36 of 92 counties in Indiana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #36 of 92
- National payments rank #1365 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.9%
Commodity sales
$208.2M
1.2× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$2.0M
0.9% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$68.0M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Shelby County's net farm income sits at the 76th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Shelby County Farm Data Shows
Shelby County, Indiana reported 548 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $208.2M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($9.39/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $68.0M. In-state sales rank #36 of 92 in Indiana.
Of 209,675 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 199,029 acres (94.9%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Indiana.
Land Use
$9.39 per acre of agricultural land · the median Indiana county receives $6.68. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
209,675 acres
Cropland
199,029 acres
Avg Farm Size
383 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 94.9%
199,029 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 209,675 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 199,029 | 94.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 10,646 | 5.1% |
| Average farm size | 383 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Shelby County, Indiana?
Shelby County, Indiana has 548 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 383 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Shelby County?
Shelby County's total commodity sales are $208.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #36 among 92 counties in Indiana.
How much federal farm assistance does Shelby County receive?
Shelby County received $2.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($9.39/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Shelby County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Shelby County is $68.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Shelby County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Shelby (MID · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-HEAVY
Huron County, OH · MID
$2.0M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Washington County, MD · HEAVY
$2.0M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Marshall County, OK · MID
$2.0M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Shelby; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Elmore County, ID · LIGHT
$2.0M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Adair County (MID $/acre pole)
Adair sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($9.42) while total receipts differ.
Hinds County (MID $/acre pole)
Hinds sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($9.44) while total receipts differ.
Indiana ERS state roll-up
Shelby stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY inside Indiana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1365)
Shelby ranks #1365 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
Shelby County, Indiana stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1365 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Indiana compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Indiana 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.