Farm operations
1,621
Avg 142 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21009 1,621 farms Top quartile (#14/120) 54% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Barren County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Barren County. Ranked #14 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
231K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 54.4% 126K acres
- Other land
- 45.6% 105K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Barren County received $19.67 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 6.0× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $19.67
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 6.01×
- Kentucky 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.
1,621 farms · $181.3M sales
Barren County, Kentucky reports 1,621 farms and $181.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #678 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #14 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #14 of 120
- National payments rank #678 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.5%
Commodity sales
$181.3M
4.6× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$4.5M
2.5% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$48.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Barren 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 Barren County Farm Data Shows
Barren County, Kentucky reported 1,621 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $181.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.5M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($19.67/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $48.6M. In-state sales rank #14 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 230,539 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 125,500 acres (54.4%) - 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 Kentucky.
Land Use
$19.67 per acre of agricultural land · the median Kentucky county receives $3.27. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
230,539 acres
Cropland
125,500 acres
Avg Farm Size
142 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 54.4%
125,500 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 230,539 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 125,500 | 54.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 105,039 | 45.6% |
| Average farm size | 142 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Barren County, Kentucky?
Barren County, Kentucky has 1,621 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 142 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Barren County?
Barren County's total commodity sales are $181.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #14 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Barren County receive?
Barren County received $4.5M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($19.67/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Barren County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Barren County is $48.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Barren County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Barren (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Washington County, MS · MID
$4.5M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Barren; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Bannock County, ID · MID
$4.5M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Barren; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Bowie County, TX · HEAVY
$4.5M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Barren; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Adams County, IL · MID
$4.5M federal receipts is higher by $10K than Barren; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Cooper County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Cooper sits near Barren on payments-per-acre ($19.47) while total receipts differ.
Gooding County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Gooding sits near Barren on payments-per-acre ($19.91) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Barren stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#678)
Barren ranks #678 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
Barren County, Kentucky stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #678 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Kentucky compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Kentucky 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.