Farm operations
418
Avg 181 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26105 418 farms Upper-middle (#39/83) 71% cropland HEAVY CROP-LED
Mason County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Mason County. Ranked #39 of 83 counties in Michigan.
76K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 70.8% 54K acres
- Other land
- 29.2% 22K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Mason County received $16.82 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.6× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $16.82
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 1.58×
- 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.
418 farms · $85.6M sales
Mason County, Michigan reports 418 farms and $85.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1683 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #39 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #39 of 83
- National payments rank #1683 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.5%
Commodity sales
$85.6M
1.1× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$1.3M
1.5% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$29.0M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Mason County's net farm income sits at the 57th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Mason County Farm Data Shows
Mason County, Michigan reported 418 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $85.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($16.82/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $29.0M. In-state sales rank #39 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 75,664 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 53,574 acres (70.8%) - a CROP-LED 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
$16.82 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
75,664 acres
Cropland
53,574 acres
Avg Farm Size
181 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 70.8%
53,574 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 75,664 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 53,574 | 70.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 22,090 | 29.2% |
| Average farm size | 181 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Mason County, Michigan?
Mason County, Michigan has 418 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 181 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Mason County?
Mason County's total commodity sales are $85.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #39 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Mason County receive?
Mason County received $1.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($16.82/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Mason County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Mason County is $29.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Mason County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Mason (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Zapata County, TX · LIGHT
$1.3M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Mason; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Jefferson County, GA · MID
$1.3M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Mason; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Cass County, MN · MID
$1.3M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Mason; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
New Haven County, CT · DENSE
$1.3M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Mason; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Tangipahoa County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Tangipahoa sits near Mason on payments-per-acre ($17.01) while total receipts differ.
Toombs County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Toombs sits near Mason on payments-per-acre ($16.02) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Mason stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1683)
Mason ranks #1683 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
Mason County, Michigan stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1683 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.