Farm operations
978
Avg 145 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21167 978 farms Upper-middle (#48/120) 47% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Mercer County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Mercer County. Ranked #48 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
142K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 47.4% 67K acres
- Other land
- 52.6% 75K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Mercer County received $4.08 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.2× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.08
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 1.25×
- 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.
978 farms · $57.7M sales
Mercer County, Kentucky reports 978 farms and $57.7M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2125 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #48 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #48 of 120
- National payments rank #2125 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.0%
Commodity sales
$57.7M
1.5× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$580K
1.0% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$10.4M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Mercer County's net farm income sits at the 38th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Mercer County Farm Data Shows
Mercer County, Kentucky reported 978 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $57.7M in total commodity sales and receiving $580K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.08/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $10.4M. In-state sales rank #48 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 142,272 acres agricultural land, cropland is 67,482 acres (47.4%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 145 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$4.08 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
142,272 acres
Cropland
67,482 acres
Avg Farm Size
145 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 47.4%
67,482 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 142,272 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 67,482 | 47.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 74,790 | 52.6% |
| Average farm size | 145 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Mercer County, Kentucky?
Mercer County, Kentucky has 978 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 145 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Mercer County?
Mercer County's total commodity sales are $57.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #48 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Mercer County receive?
Mercer County received $580K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.08/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Mercer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Mercer County is $10.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Mercer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Mercer (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Wayne County, MO · LIGHT
$580K federal receipts is higher by - than Mercer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Perry County, AR · MID
$579K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Mercer; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Hardin County, IL · HEAVY
$581K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Mercer; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Curry County, OR · HEAVY
$581K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Mercer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Union County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Union sits near Mercer on payments-per-acre ($4.07) while total receipts differ.
Washington County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Washington sits near Mercer on payments-per-acre ($4.13) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Mercer stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2125)
Mercer ranks #2125 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
Mercer County, Kentucky stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2125 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.