Farm operations
476
Avg 131 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census KY · FIPS 21235 476 farms Lower-middle (#89/120) 26% cropland TRACE MIXED
Whitley County, Kentucky - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Whitley County. Ranked #89 of 120 counties in Kentucky.
62K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 26.4% 16K acres
- Other land
- 73.6% 46K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Whitley County received $1.13 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.3× the Kentucky county median of $3.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $1.13
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.27
- Kentucky county median per acre
- 0.34×
- 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.
476 farms · $6.1M sales
Whitley County, Kentucky reports 476 farms and $6.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2762 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #89 of 120 counties in Kentucky; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #89 of 120
- National payments rank #2762 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.1%
Commodity sales
$6.1M
0.16× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$70K
1.1% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$-1.4M
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Whitley County's net farm income sits at the 8th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Whitley County Farm Data Shows
Whitley County, Kentucky reported 476 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $6.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $70K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($1.13/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $-1.4M. In-state sales rank #89 of 120 in Kentucky.
Of 62,190 acres agricultural land, cropland is 16,398 acres (26.4%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 131 acres. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Kentucky.
Land Use
$1.13 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
62,190 acres
Cropland
16,398 acres
Avg Farm Size
131 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 26.4%
16,398 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 62,190 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 16,398 | 26.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 45,792 | 73.6% |
| Average farm size | 131 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Whitley County, Kentucky?
Whitley County, Kentucky has 476 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 131 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Whitley County?
Whitley County's total commodity sales are $6.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #89 among 120 counties in Kentucky.
How much federal farm assistance does Whitley County receive?
Whitley County received $70K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($1.13/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Whitley County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Whitley County is $-1.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Whitley County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Whitley (TRACE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE MIXED
Gulf County, FL · UNPUB
$70K federal receipts is higher by - than Whitley; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Knox County, ME · TRACE
$70K federal receipts is higher by - than Whitley; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Schoolcraft County, MI · LIGHT
$70K federal receipts is higher by - than Whitley; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Troup County, GA · TRACE
$71K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Whitley; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Highland County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Highland sits near Whitley on payments-per-acre ($1.14) while total receipts differ.
Rutherford County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Rutherford sits near Whitley on payments-per-acre ($1.12) while total receipts differ.
Kentucky ERS state roll-up
Whitley stamps TRACE · MIXED inside Kentucky's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2762)
Whitley ranks #2762 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
Whitley County, Kentucky stamps TRACE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2762 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.