Farm operations
558
Avg 290 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IN · FIPS 18147 558 farms Lower-middle (#51/92) 80% cropland LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Spencer County, Indiana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Spencer County. Ranked #51 of 92 counties in Indiana.
162K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 80.2% 130K acres
- Other land
- 19.8% 32K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Spencer County received $4.19 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.6× the Indiana county median of $6.68.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.19
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.68
- Indiana county median per acre
- 0.63×
- 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.
558 farms · $148.7M sales
Spencer County, Indiana reports 558 farms and $148.7M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2039 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #51 of 92 counties in Indiana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #51 of 92
- National payments rank #2039 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.5%
Commodity sales
$148.7M
0.88× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$679K
0.5% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$59.2M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Spencer County's net farm income sits at the 72th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Spencer County Farm Data Shows
Spencer County, Indiana reported 558 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $148.7M in total commodity sales and receiving $679K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.19/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $59.2M. In-state sales rank #51 of 92 in Indiana.
Of 162,031 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 129,934 acres (80.2%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Indiana.
Land Use
$4.19 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
162,031 acres
Cropland
129,934 acres
Avg Farm Size
290 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 80.2%
129,934 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 162,031 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 129,934 | 80.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 32,097 | 19.8% |
| Average farm size | 290 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Spencer County, Indiana?
Spencer County, Indiana has 558 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 290 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Spencer County?
Spencer County's total commodity sales are $148.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #51 among 92 counties in Indiana.
How much federal farm assistance does Spencer County receive?
Spencer County received $679K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.19/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Spencer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Spencer County is $59.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Spencer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Spencer (LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Clearwater County, ID · MID
$679K federal receipts is higher by - than Spencer; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Brevard County, FL · LIGHT
$680K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Spencer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Clarion County, PA · LIGHT
$677K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Spencer; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Crawford County, AR · LIGHT
$682K federal receipts is higher by $3K than Spencer; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Elkhart County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Elkhart sits near Spencer on payments-per-acre ($4.15) while total receipts differ.
Mercer County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Mercer sits near Spencer on payments-per-acre ($4.08) while total receipts differ.
Indiana ERS state roll-up
Spencer stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY inside Indiana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2039)
Spencer ranks #2039 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Spencer County, Indiana stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2039 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.