Farm operations
290
Avg 756 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21225 290 farms Top quartile (#13/120) 87% cropland LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Union County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Union County. Ranked #13 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
219K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 87.1% 191K acres
- Other land
- 12.9% 28K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Union County received $6.37 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.9× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $6.37
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 1.95×
- 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.
290 farms · $191.6M sales
Union County, Kentucky reports 290 farms and $191.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1622 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #13 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #13 of 120
- National payments rank #1622 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.7%
Commodity sales
$191.6M
4.8× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.4M
0.7% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$65.3M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Union County's net farm income sits at the 75th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Union County Farm Data Shows
Union County, Kentucky reported 290 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $191.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.4M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($6.37/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $65.3M. In-state sales rank #13 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 219,151 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 190,949 acres (87.1%) - a CROP-HEAVY 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
$6.37 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
219,151 acres
Cropland
190,949 acres
Avg Farm Size
756 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 87.1%
190,949 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 219,151 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 190,949 | 87.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 28,202 | 12.9% |
| Average farm size | 756 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Union County, Kentucky?
Union County, Kentucky has 290 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 756 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Union County?
Union County's total commodity sales are $191.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #13 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Union County receive?
Union County received $1.4M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($6.37/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Union County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Union County is $65.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Union County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Union (LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Clark County, OH · MID
$1.4M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Union; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Bartholomew County, IN · MID
$1.4M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Union; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Gadsden County, FL · DENSE
$1.4M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Union; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Lane County, OR · MID
$1.4M federal receipts is lower by $6K than Union; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Carroll County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Carroll sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($6.38) while total receipts differ.
Obion County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Obion sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($6.35) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Union stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1622)
Union ranks #1622 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
Union County, Kentucky stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1622 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.