Farm operations
617
Avg 42 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MA · FIPS 25017 617 farms Top quartile (#2/14) 46% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Middlesex County. Ranked #2 of 14 counties in Massachusetts.
26K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 46.4% 12K acres
- Other land
- 53.6% 14K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Middlesex County received $16.85 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the Massachusetts county median of $22.92.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $16.85
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $22.92
- Massachusetts county median per acre
- 0.74×
- 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.
617 farms · $87.9M sales
Middlesex County, Massachusetts reports 617 farms and $87.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2244 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #2 of 14 counties in Massachusetts; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #2 of 14
- National payments rank #2244 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.5%
Commodity sales
$87.9M
2.3× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$434K
0.5% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$16.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Middlesex County's net farm income sits at the 46th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Middlesex County Farm Data Shows
Middlesex County, Massachusetts reported 617 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $87.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $434K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($16.85/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $16.6M. In-state sales rank #2 of 14 in Massachusetts.
Of 25,752 acres agricultural land, cropland is 11,949 acres (46.4%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 42 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Massachusetts.
Land Use
$16.85 per acre of agricultural land · the median Massachusetts county receives $22.92. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
25,752 acres
Cropland
11,949 acres
Avg Farm Size
42 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 46.4%
11,949 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 25,752 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 11,949 | 46.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 13,803 | 53.6% |
| Average farm size | 42 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Middlesex County, Massachusetts has 617 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 42 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Middlesex County?
Middlesex County's total commodity sales are $87.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #2 among 14 counties in Massachusetts.
How much federal farm assistance does Middlesex County receive?
Middlesex County received $434K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($16.85/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Middlesex County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Middlesex County is $16.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Middlesex County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Middlesex (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
Clinton County, PA · HEAVY
$434K federal receipts is higher by - than Middlesex; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Clark County, AR · LIGHT
$433K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Middlesex; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Russell County, VA · TRACE
$435K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Middlesex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Essex County, MA · DENSE
$432K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Middlesex; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Cherokee County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Cherokee sits near Middlesex on payments-per-acre ($16.77) while total receipts differ.
Rockingham County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Rockingham sits near Middlesex on payments-per-acre ($17.60) while total receipts differ.
Massachusetts ERS state roll-up
Middlesex stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside Massachusetts's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2244)
Middlesex ranks #2244 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Middlesex County, Massachusetts stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2244 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- 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.
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.