Farm operations
842
Avg 428 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19147 Top quartile by state sales DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Palo Alto County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Palo Alto County. Ranked #9 of 99 counties in Iowa.
360,741 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 96.7% 348,895 acres
- Other land
- 3.3% 11,846 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Palo Alto County received $31.14 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.2× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $31.14
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 1.24×
- 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Palo Alto County, Iowa is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit above state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$783.4M
2.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$11.2M
1.4% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$248.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Palo Alto County's net farm income sits at the 98th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Palo Alto County Farm Data Shows
Palo Alto County, Iowa reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with DENSE 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 highest national quintile, $18.39 an acre or more, federal receipts concentrated on a small farmed base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 99 of 99 Iowa counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 99 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 99 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Iowa.
Read with Palo Alto County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Palo Alto (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Delaware County, IA · DENSE
$11.3M federal receipts is higher by $56K than Palo Alto; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Renville County, ND · DENSE
$11.3M federal receipts is higher by $57K than Palo Alto; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Acadia County, LA · DENSE
$11.2M federal receipts is lower by $73K than Palo Alto; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
San Luis Obispo County, CA · HEAVY
$11.2M federal receipts is lower by $83K than Palo Alto; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Clayton County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Clayton sits near Palo Alto on payments-per-acre ($31.21) while total receipts differ.
Yoakum County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Yoakum sits near Palo Alto on payments-per-acre ($31.23) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Palo Alto stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside Iowa'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 Palo Alto under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Three ways to keep going from Palo Alto County, Iowa:
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Palo Alto County, Iowa?
Palo Alto County, Iowa has 842 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 428 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Palo Alto County?
Palo Alto County's total commodity sales are $783.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #9 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Palo Alto County receive?
Palo Alto County received $11.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($31.14/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Palo Alto County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Palo Alto County is $248.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Iowa
99 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 DENSE · 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.