Farm operations
732
Avg 308 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19177 732 farms Bottom quartile (#90/99) 64% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Van Buren County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Van Buren County. Ranked #90 of 99 counties in Iowa.
225K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 64.2% 144K acres
- Other land
- 35.8% 81K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Van Buren County received $27.91 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.1× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $27.91
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 1.11×
- 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.
732 farms · $150.0M sales
Van Buren County, Iowa reports 732 farms and $150.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #478 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #90 of 99 counties in Iowa; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #90 of 99
- National payments rank #478 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 4.2%
Commodity sales
$150.0M
0.38× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$6.3M
4.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$49.6M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Van Buren County's net farm income sits at the 68th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Van Buren County Farm Data Shows
Van Buren County, Iowa reported 732 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $150.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $6.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($27.91/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $49.6M. In-state sales rank #90 of 99 in Iowa.
Of 225,161 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 144,499 acres (64.2%) - a CROP-LED 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
$27.91 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
225,161 acres
Cropland
144,499 acres
Avg Farm Size
308 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 64.2%
144,499 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 225,161 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 144,499 | 64.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 80,662 | 35.8% |
| Average farm size | 308 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Van Buren County, Iowa?
Van Buren County, Iowa has 732 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 308 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Van Buren County?
Van Buren County's total commodity sales are $150.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #90 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Van Buren County receive?
Van Buren County received $6.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($27.91/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Van Buren County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Van Buren County is $49.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Van Buren County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Van Buren (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Morrill County, NE · LIGHT
$6.3M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Van Buren; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Chelan County, WA · DENSE
$6.3M federal receipts is higher by $6K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Montgomery County, IL · HEAVY
$6.3M federal receipts is higher by $12K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Briscoe County, TX · MID
$6.3M federal receipts is higher by $41K than Van Buren; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Mesa County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Mesa sits near Van Buren on payments-per-acre ($27.53) while total receipts differ.
Bremer County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Bremer sits near Van Buren on payments-per-acre ($27.42) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Van Buren stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside Iowa's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#478)
Van Buren ranks #478 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
Van Buren County, Iowa stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #478 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.