Farm operations
441
Avg 278 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21033 441 farms Upper-middle (#41/120) 69% cropland HEAVY CROP-LED
Caldwell County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Caldwell County. Ranked #41 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
123K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 69.4% 85K acres
- Other land
- 30.6% 38K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Caldwell County received $12.38 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 3.8× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.38
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 3.78×
- 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.
441 farms · $67.4M sales
Caldwell County, Kentucky reports 441 farms and $67.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1560 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #41 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #41 of 120
- National payments rank #1560 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.3%
Commodity sales
$67.4M
1.7× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.5M
2.3% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$18.5M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Caldwell County's net farm income sits at the 48th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Caldwell County Farm Data Shows
Caldwell County, Kentucky reported 441 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $67.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.5M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.38/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $18.5M. In-state sales rank #41 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 122,775 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 85,233 acres (69.4%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$12.38 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
122,775 acres
Cropland
85,233 acres
Avg Farm Size
278 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 69.4%
85,233 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 122,775 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 85,233 | 69.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 37,542 | 30.6% |
| Average farm size | 278 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Caldwell County, Kentucky?
Caldwell County, Kentucky has 441 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 278 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Caldwell County?
Caldwell County's total commodity sales are $67.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #41 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Caldwell County receive?
Caldwell County received $1.5M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.38/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Caldwell County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Caldwell County is $18.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Caldwell County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Caldwell (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Morgan County, MO · MID
$1.5M federal receipts is higher by - than Caldwell; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Lowndes County, GA · HEAVY
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Caldwell; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Polk County, NE · LIGHT
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Caldwell; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Martin County, FL · MID
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Caldwell; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Edwards County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Edwards sits near Caldwell on payments-per-acre ($12.48) while total receipts differ.
Crittenden County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Crittenden sits near Caldwell on payments-per-acre ($12.50) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Caldwell stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1560)
Caldwell ranks #1560 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Caldwell County, Kentucky stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1560 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.