Farm operations
585
Avg 155 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21203 585 farms Lower-middle (#81/120) 31% cropland TRACE MIXED
Rockcastle County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Rockcastle County. Ranked #81 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
91K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 30.6% 28K acres
- Other land
- 69.4% 63K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Rockcastle County received $1.59 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.5× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $1.59
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 0.48×
- 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.
585 farms · $10.5M sales
Rockcastle County, Kentucky reports 585 farms and $10.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2618 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #81 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #81 of 120
- National payments rank #2618 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.4%
Commodity sales
$10.5M
0.26× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$144K
1.4% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$21K
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Rockcastle County's net farm income sits at the 15th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Rockcastle County Farm Data Shows
Rockcastle County, Kentucky reported 585 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $10.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $144K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($1.59/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $21K. In-state sales rank #81 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 90,816 acres agricultural land, cropland is 27,760 acres (30.6%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 155 acres. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$1.59 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
90,816 acres
Cropland
27,760 acres
Avg Farm Size
155 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 30.6%
27,760 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 90,816 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 27,760 | 30.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 63,056 | 69.4% |
| Average farm size | 155 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Rockcastle County, Kentucky?
Rockcastle County, Kentucky has 585 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 155 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Rockcastle County?
Rockcastle County's total commodity sales are $10.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #81 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Rockcastle County receive?
Rockcastle County received $144K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($1.59/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Rockcastle County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Rockcastle County is $21K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Rockcastle County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Rockcastle (TRACE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE MIXED
Washington County, KY · TRACE
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Rockcastle; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Dukes County, MA · DENSE
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Rockcastle; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Macon County, NC · LIGHT
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Rockcastle; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Meriwether County, GA · TRACE
$145K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Rockcastle; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Franklin County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Franklin sits near Rockcastle on payments-per-acre ($1.59) while total receipts differ.
Newberry County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Newberry sits near Rockcastle on payments-per-acre ($1.58) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Rockcastle stamps TRACE · MIXED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2618)
Rockcastle ranks #2618 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
Rockcastle County, Kentucky stamps TRACE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2618 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.