Farm operations
467
Avg 164 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21181 Lower-middle by state sales LIGHT MIXED
Nicholas County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Nicholas County. Ranked #66 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
76,674 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 44.5% 34,157 acres
- Other land
- 55.5% 42,517 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Nicholas County received $4.76 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.5× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.76
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 1.45×
- 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Nicholas County, Kentucky is a MIXED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp LIGHT; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$32.0M
0.81× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$365K
1.1% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$4.4M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Nicholas County's net farm income sits at the 27th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Nicholas County Farm Data Shows
Nicholas County, Kentucky reads as a MIXED county with LIGHT federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 25% to 50% of agricultural land with the balance in pasture, range, woodland or farmsteads, so row-crop and livestock-side programs are both in play; payments per agricultural acre fall in the second-lowest national quintile, $3.41 to $6.98 an acre, which is light federal support for the land base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 120 of 120 Kentucky counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 113 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 85 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Read with Nicholas County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Nicholas (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Garrett County, MD · LIGHT
$365K federal receipts is higher by - than Nicholas; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Bullock County, AL · TRACE
$366K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Nicholas; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Honolulu County, HI · LIGHT
$367K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Nicholas; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Hampshire County, WV · TRACE
$363K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Nicholas; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Richland County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Richland sits near Nicholas on payments-per-acre ($4.75) while total receipts differ.
Monroe County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Monroe sits near Nicholas on payments-per-acre ($4.78) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Nicholas stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Nicholas under the LIGHT intensity band.
What to do with this
Three places to go next from Nicholas County, Kentucky:
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
Nicholas County, Kentucky has 467 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 164 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Nicholas County?
Nicholas County's total commodity sales are $32.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #66 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Nicholas County receive?
Nicholas County received $365K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.76/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Nicholas County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Nicholas County is $4.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Kentucky
120 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp LIGHT · land stamp MIXED (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
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.