Farm operations
842
Avg 428 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19147 842 farms Top quartile (#9/99) 97% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Palo Alto County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Palo Alto County. Ranked #9 of 99 counties in Iowa.
361K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 96.7% 349K acres
- Other land
- 3.3% 12K 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.
842 farms · $783.4M sales
Palo Alto County, Iowa reports 842 farms and $783.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #213 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #9 of 99 counties in Iowa; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #9 of 99
- National payments rank #213 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.4%
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 reported 842 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $783.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $11.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($31.14/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $248.1M. In-state sales rank #9 of 99 in Iowa.
Of 360,741 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 348,895 acres (96.7%) - 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
$31.14 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
360,741 acres
Cropland
348,895 acres
Avg Farm Size
428 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 96.7%
348,895 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 360,741 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 348,895 | 96.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 11,846 | 3.3% |
| Average farm size | 428 | acres / farm |
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).
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 (#213)
Palo Alto ranks #213 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
Palo Alto County, Iowa stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #213 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.