Farm operations
255
Avg 968 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KS · FIPS 20049 255 farms Bottom quartile (#103/105) 19% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Elk County, Kansas - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Elk County. Ranked #103 of 105 counties in Kansas.
247K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 18.7% 46K acres
- Other land
- 81.3% 201K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Elk County received $3.59 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.5× the Kansas county median of $7.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $3.59
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.60
- Kansas county median per acre
- 0.47×
- Kansas 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.
255 farms · $42.4M sales
Elk County, Kansas reports 255 farms and $42.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1903 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #103 of 105 counties in Kansas; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #103 of 105
- National payments rank #1903 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.1%
Commodity sales
$42.4M
0.32× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$886K
2.1% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$5.4M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Elk County's net farm income sits at the 29th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Elk County Farm Data Shows
Elk County, Kansas reported 255 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $42.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $886K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($3.59/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $5.4M. In-state sales rank #103 of 105 in Kansas.
Of 246,966 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 46,197 acres (18.7%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kansas.
Land Use
$3.59 per acre of agricultural land · the median Kansas county receives $7.60. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
246,966 acres
Cropland
46,197 acres
Avg Farm Size
968 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 18.7%
46,197 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 246,966 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 46,197 | 18.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 200,769 | 81.3% |
| Average farm size | 968 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Elk County, Kansas?
Elk County, Kansas has 255 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 968 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Elk County?
Elk County's total commodity sales are $42.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #103 among 105 counties in Kansas.
How much federal farm assistance does Elk County receive?
Elk County received $886K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($3.59/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Elk County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Elk County is $5.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Elk County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Elk (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Van Buren County, AR · MID
$885K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Elk; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Owen County, IN · HEAVY
$885K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Elk; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Echols County, GA · DENSE
$889K federal receipts is higher by $3K than Elk; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Perry County, IL · LIGHT
$883K federal receipts is lower by $3K than Elk; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
ST Joseph County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
ST Joseph sits near Elk on payments-per-acre ($3.61) while total receipts differ.
Limestone County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Limestone sits near Elk on payments-per-acre ($3.62) while total receipts differ.
Kansas ERS state roll-up
Elk stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Kansas's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1903)
Elk ranks #1903 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Elk County, Kansas stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1903 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Kansas compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Kansas 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.