Farm operations
587
Avg 365 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19175 Bottom quartile by state sales DENSE CROP-LED
Union County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Union County. Ranked #81 of 99 counties in Iowa.
214,527 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 71.3% 152,957 acres
- Other land
- 28.7% 61,570 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Union County received $23.99 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $23.99
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 0.95×
- 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, Union County, Iowa is a CROP-LED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows above-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$213.3M
0.54× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$5.1M
2.4% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$61.0M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Union County's net farm income sits at the 73th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Union County Farm Data Shows
Union County, Iowa reads as a CROP-LED county with DENSE federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 50% to 75% 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 Union County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Union (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Southampton County, VA · DENSE
$5.1M federal receipts is higher by - than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Petroleum County, MT · MID
$5.2M federal receipts is higher by $19K than Union; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Russell County, KS · HEAVY
$5.2M federal receipts is higher by $23K than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Grayson County, TX · HEAVY
$5.2M federal receipts is higher by $32K than Union; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Defiance County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Defiance sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($23.52) while total receipts differ.
Boyd County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Boyd sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($23.44) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Union stamps DENSE · CROP-LED 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 Union under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Three ways to keep going from Union 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 Union County, Iowa?
Union County, Iowa has 587 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 365 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Union County?
Union County's total commodity sales are $213.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #81 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Union County receive?
Union County received $5.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($23.99/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Union County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Union County is $61.0M (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-LED (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.