Farm operations
648
Avg 230 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19057 648 farms Bottom quartile (#93/99) 83% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Des Moines County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Des Moines County. Ranked #93 of 99 counties in Iowa.
149K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 82.7% 123K acres
- Other land
- 17.3% 26K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Des Moines County received $21.63 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.9× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $21.63
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 0.86×
- Iowa 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.
648 farms · $145.8M sales
Des Moines County, Iowa reports 648 farms and $145.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #962 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #93 of 99 counties in Iowa; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #93 of 99
- National payments rank #962 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.2%
Commodity sales
$145.8M
0.37× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$3.2M
2.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$51.7M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Des Moines County's net farm income sits at the 69th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Des Moines County Farm Data Shows
Des Moines County, Iowa reported 648 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $145.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($21.63/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $51.7M. In-state sales rank #93 of 99 in Iowa.
Of 148,881 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 123,052 acres (82.7%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Iowa.
Land Use
$21.63 per acre of agricultural land · the median Iowa county receives $25.16. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
148,881 acres
Cropland
123,052 acres
Avg Farm Size
230 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 82.7%
123,052 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 148,881 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 123,052 | 82.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 25,829 | 17.3% |
| Average farm size | 230 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Des Moines County, Iowa?
Des Moines County, Iowa has 648 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 230 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Des Moines County?
Des Moines County's total commodity sales are $145.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #93 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Des Moines County receive?
Des Moines County received $3.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($21.63/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Des Moines County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Des Moines County is $51.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Des Moines County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Des Moines (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Wabasha County, MN · HEAVY
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by - than Des Moines; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Val Verde County, TX · TRACE
$3.2M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Des Moines; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Seminole County, GA · DENSE
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Des Moines; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Taylor County, TX · MID
$3.2M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Des Moines; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Bertie County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Bertie sits near Des Moines on payments-per-acre ($21.41) while total receipts differ.
Thurston County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Thurston sits near Des Moines on payments-per-acre ($21.31) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Des Moines stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside Iowa's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#962)
Des Moines ranks #962 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Des Moines County, Iowa stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #962 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Iowa compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Iowa 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.