Farm operations
441
Avg 42 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MA · FIPS 25009 Lower-middle by state sales DENSE MIXED
Essex County, Massachusetts - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Essex County. Ranked #8 of 14 counties in Massachusetts.
18,490 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 46.1% 8,523 acres
- Other land
- 53.9% 9,967 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Essex County received $23.36 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Massachusetts county median of $22.92.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $23.36
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $22.92
- Massachusetts county median per acre
- 1.02×
- Massachusetts 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, Essex County, Massachusetts is a MIXED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$36.7M
0.96× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$432K
1.2% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$3.9M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Essex County's net farm income sits at the 26th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Essex County Farm Data Shows
Essex County, Massachusetts reads as a MIXED county with DENSE 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 highest national quintile, $18.39 an acre or more, federal receipts concentrated on a small farmed base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 14 of 14 Massachusetts counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 12 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 13 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Massachusetts.
Read with Essex County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Essex (DENSE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE MIXED
Santa FE County, NM · TRACE
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Chester County, SC · LIGHT
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Grand County, UT · TRACE
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Montgomery County, AL · TRACE
$431K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Sagadahoc County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Sagadahoc sits near Essex on payments-per-acre ($21.27) while total receipts differ.
Monroe County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Monroe sits near Essex on payments-per-acre ($20.09) while total receipts differ.
Massachusetts ERS state roll-up
Essex stamps DENSE · MIXED inside Massachusetts'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 Essex under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Where to go after Essex County, Massachusetts:
- See how Massachusetts compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Massachusetts 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 Essex County, Massachusetts?
Essex County, Massachusetts has 441 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 42 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Essex County?
Essex County's total commodity sales are $36.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #8 among 14 counties in Massachusetts.
How much federal farm assistance does Essex County receive?
Essex County received $432K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($23.36/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Essex County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Essex County is $3.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Massachusetts
14 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 DENSE · 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.