Farm operations
659
Avg 288 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26017 659 farms Upper-middle (#28/83) 92% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Bay County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Bay County. Ranked #28 of 83 counties in Michigan.
190K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 92.0% 175K acres
- Other land
- 8.0% 15K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Bay County received $16.07 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.5× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $16.07
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 1.51×
- Michigan 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.
659 farms · $164.8M sales
Bay County, Michigan reports 659 farms and $164.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1013 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #28 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #28 of 83
- National payments rank #1013 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.9%
Commodity sales
$164.8M
2.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$3.1M
1.9% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$42.9M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Bay County's net farm income sits at the 65th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Bay County Farm Data Shows
Bay County, Michigan reported 659 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $164.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($16.07/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $42.9M. In-state sales rank #28 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 190,098 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 174,916 acres (92.0%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Michigan.
Land Use
$16.07 per acre of agricultural land · the median Michigan county receives $10.62. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
190,098 acres
Cropland
174,916 acres
Avg Farm Size
288 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 92.0%
174,916 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 190,098 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 174,916 | 92.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 15,182 | 8.0% |
| Average farm size | 288 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Bay County, Michigan?
Bay County, Michigan has 659 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 288 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Bay County?
Bay County's total commodity sales are $164.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #28 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Bay County receive?
Bay County received $3.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($16.07/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Bay County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Bay County is $42.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Bay County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Bay (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Faribault County, MN · MID
$3.1M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Bay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Comanche County, KS · LIGHT
$3.1M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Bay; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Carter County, OK · MID
$3.0M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Bay; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Mitchell County, IA · HEAVY
$3.0M federal receipts is lower by $7K than Bay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Muscatine County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Muscatine sits near Bay on payments-per-acre ($16.07) while total receipts differ.
Williamsburg County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Williamsburg sits near Bay on payments-per-acre ($15.99) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Bay stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1013)
Bay ranks #1013 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
Bay County, Michigan stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1013 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Michigan compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Michigan 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.