Farm operations
731
Avg 173 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21163 731 farms Upper-middle (#49/120) 55% cropland LIGHT CROP-LED
Meade County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Meade County. Ranked #49 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
126K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 55.1% 70K acres
- Other land
- 44.9% 57K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Meade County received $4.41 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.3× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.41
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 1.35×
- 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.
731 farms · $55.4M sales
Meade County, Kentucky reports 731 farms and $55.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2140 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #49 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #49 of 120
- National payments rank #2140 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.0%
Commodity sales
$55.4M
1.4× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$558K
1.0% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$6.6M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Meade County's net farm income sits at the 31th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Meade County Farm Data Shows
Meade County, Kentucky reported 731 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $55.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $558K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.41/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $6.6M. In-state sales rank #49 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 126,388 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 69,608 acres (55.1%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$4.41 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
126,388 acres
Cropland
69,608 acres
Avg Farm Size
173 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 55.1%
69,608 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 126,388 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 69,608 | 55.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 56,780 | 44.9% |
| Average farm size | 173 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Meade County, Kentucky?
Meade County, Kentucky has 731 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 173 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Meade County?
Meade County's total commodity sales are $55.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #49 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Meade County receive?
Meade County received $558K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.41/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Meade County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Meade County is $6.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Meade County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Meade (LIGHT · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-LED
San Bernardino County, CA · HEAVY
$558K federal receipts is higher by - than Meade; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Somerset County, NJ · DENSE
$558K federal receipts is higher by - than Meade; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Gaston County, NC · HEAVY
$556K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Meade; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Johnson County, GA · MID
$561K federal receipts is higher by $3K than Meade; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Iredell County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Iredell sits near Meade on payments-per-acre ($4.38) while total receipts differ.
Cole County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Cole sits near Meade on payments-per-acre ($4.37) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Meade stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2140)
Meade ranks #2140 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
Meade County, Kentucky stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2140 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.