Farm operations
536
Avg 187 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census ME · FIPS 23019 536 farms Top quartile (#4/16) 37% cropland MID MIXED
Penobscot County, Maine - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Penobscot County. Ranked #4 of 16 counties in Maine.
100K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 36.5% 37K acres
- Other land
- 63.5% 64K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Penobscot County received $7.25 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.4× the Maine county median of $5.27.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $7.25
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $5.27
- Maine county median per acre
- 1.38×
- Maine 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.
536 farms · $67.3M sales
Penobscot County, Maine reports 536 farms and $67.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2013 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #4 of 16 counties in Maine; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #4 of 16
- National payments rank #2013 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.1%
Commodity sales
$67.3M
2.3× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$726K
1.1% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$15.1M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Penobscot County's net farm income sits at the 44th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Penobscot County Farm Data Shows
Penobscot County, Maine reported 536 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $67.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $726K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($7.25/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $15.1M. In-state sales rank #4 of 16 in Maine.
Of 100,176 acres agricultural land, cropland is 36,537 acres (36.5%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 187 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Maine.
Land Use
$7.25 per acre of agricultural land · the median Maine county receives $5.27. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
100,176 acres
Cropland
36,537 acres
Avg Farm Size
187 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 36.5%
36,537 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 100,176 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 36,537 | 36.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 63,639 | 63.5% |
| Average farm size | 187 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Penobscot County, Maine?
Penobscot County, Maine has 536 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 187 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Penobscot County?
Penobscot County's total commodity sales are $67.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #4 among 16 counties in Maine.
How much federal farm assistance does Penobscot County receive?
Penobscot County received $726K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($7.25/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Penobscot County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Penobscot County is $15.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Penobscot County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Penobscot (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Williamson County, IL · MID
$725K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Penobscot; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Scott County, IN · HEAVY
$727K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Penobscot; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Marshall County, MS · LIGHT
$725K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Penobscot; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Dare County, NC · DENSE
$727K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Penobscot; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Tippah County (MID $/acre pole)
Tippah sits near Penobscot on payments-per-acre ($7.27) while total receipts differ.
Lawrence County (MID $/acre pole)
Lawrence sits near Penobscot on payments-per-acre ($7.21) while total receipts differ.
Maine ERS state roll-up
Penobscot stamps MID · MIXED inside Maine's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2013)
Penobscot ranks #2013 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Penobscot County, Maine stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2013 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Maine compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Maine 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.