Farm operations
187
Avg 138 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26061 187 farms Bottom quartile (#73/83) 45% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Houghton County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Houghton County. Ranked #73 of 83 counties in Michigan.
26K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 44.6% 12K acres
- Other land
- 55.4% 14K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Houghton County received $4.92 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.5× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.92
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 0.46×
- 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.
187 farms · $3.4M sales
Houghton County, Michigan reports 187 farms and $3.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2643 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #73 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #73 of 83
- National payments rank #2643 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 3.8%
Commodity sales
$3.4M
0.041× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$127K
3.8% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$-948K
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Houghton County's net farm income sits at the 9th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Houghton County Farm Data Shows
Houghton County, Michigan reported 187 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $3.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $127K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.92/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $-948K. In-state sales rank #73 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 25,808 acres agricultural land, cropland is 11,518 acres (44.6%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 138 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Michigan.
Land Use
$4.92 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
25,808 acres
Cropland
11,518 acres
Avg Farm Size
138 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 44.6%
11,518 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 25,808 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 11,518 | 44.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 14,290 | 55.4% |
| Average farm size | 138 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Houghton County, Michigan?
Houghton County, Michigan has 187 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 138 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Houghton County?
Houghton County's total commodity sales are $3.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #73 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Houghton County receive?
Houghton County received $127K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.92/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Houghton County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Houghton County is $-948K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Houghton County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Houghton (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Marion County, IN · MID
$127K federal receipts is higher by - than Houghton; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Bullitt County, KY · LIGHT
$128K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Houghton; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Montgomery County, MD · TRACE
$126K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Houghton; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Calhoun County, AR · MID
$129K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Houghton; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Gloucester County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Gloucester sits near Houghton on payments-per-acre ($4.96) while total receipts differ.
Spotsylvania County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Spotsylvania sits near Houghton on payments-per-acre ($4.84) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Houghton stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2643)
Houghton ranks #2643 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Houghton County, Michigan stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2643 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.