Farm operations
750
Avg 283 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26073 750 farms Upper-middle (#25/83) 83% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Isabella County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Isabella County. Ranked #25 of 83 counties in Michigan.
212K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 82.6% 175K acres
- Other land
- 17.4% 37K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Isabella County received $15.39 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.4× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.39
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 1.45×
- 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.
750 farms · $188.5M sales
Isabella County, Michigan reports 750 farms and $188.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #952 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #25 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #25 of 83
- National payments rank #952 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.7%
Commodity sales
$188.5M
2.3× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$3.3M
1.7% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$49.4M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Isabella County's net farm income sits at the 68th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Isabella County Farm Data Shows
Isabella County, Michigan reported 750 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $188.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($15.39/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $49.4M. In-state sales rank #25 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 212,342 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 175,395 acres (82.6%) - 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
$15.39 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
212,342 acres
Cropland
175,395 acres
Avg Farm Size
283 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 82.6%
175,395 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 212,342 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 175,395 | 82.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 36,947 | 17.4% |
| Average farm size | 283 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Isabella County, Michigan?
Isabella County, Michigan has 750 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 283 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Isabella County?
Isabella County's total commodity sales are $188.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #25 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Isabella County receive?
Isabella County received $3.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.39/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Isabella County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Isabella County is $49.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Isabella County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Isabella (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Yuma County, AZ · HEAVY
$3.3M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Isabella; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Webster County, MO · HEAVY
$3.3M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Isabella; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Scott County, IA · HEAVY
$3.3M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Isabella; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Spartanburg County, SC · DENSE
$3.3M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Isabella; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Highland County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Highland sits near Isabella on payments-per-acre ($15.40) while total receipts differ.
Collin County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Collin sits near Isabella on payments-per-acre ($15.10) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Isabella stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#952)
Isabella ranks #952 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
Isabella County, Michigan stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #952 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.