Farm operations
1,241
Avg 127 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21179 1,241 farms Upper-middle (#34/120) 57% cropland TRACE CROP-LED
Nelson County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Nelson County. Ranked #34 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
157K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 57.1% 90K acres
- Other land
- 42.9% 68K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Nelson County received $3.03 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.9× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $3.03
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 0.93×
- 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.
1,241 farms · $79.5M sales
Nelson County, Kentucky reports 1,241 farms and $79.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2206 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #34 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #34 of 120
- National payments rank #2206 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.6%
Commodity sales
$79.5M
2.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$477K
0.6% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$19.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Nelson County's net farm income sits at the 49th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Nelson County Farm Data Shows
Nelson County, Kentucky reported 1,241 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $79.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $477K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($3.03/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $19.1M. In-state sales rank #34 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 157,488 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 89,973 acres (57.1%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$3.03 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
157,488 acres
Cropland
89,973 acres
Avg Farm Size
127 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 57.1%
89,973 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 157,488 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 89,973 | 57.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 67,515 | 42.9% |
| Average farm size | 127 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Nelson County, Kentucky?
Nelson County, Kentucky has 1,241 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 127 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Nelson County?
Nelson County's total commodity sales are $79.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #34 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Nelson County receive?
Nelson County received $477K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($3.03/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Nelson County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Nelson County is $19.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Nelson County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Nelson (TRACE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE CROP-LED
Scotland County, NC · MID
$477K federal receipts is higher by - than Nelson; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Rowan County, NC · LIGHT
$476K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Nelson; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Shelby County, TX · TRACE
$478K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Nelson; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Nottoway County, VA · MID
$476K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Nelson; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Sumter County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Sumter sits near Nelson on payments-per-acre ($3.00) while total receipts differ.
Susquehanna County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Susquehanna sits near Nelson on payments-per-acre ($3.07) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Nelson stamps TRACE · CROP-LED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2206)
Nelson ranks #2206 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the TRACE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Nelson County, Kentucky stamps TRACE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2206 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.