Farm operations
1,284
Avg 233 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26145 1,284 farms Top quartile (#19/83) 90% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Saginaw County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Saginaw County. Ranked #19 of 83 counties in Michigan.
299K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 90.0% 269K acres
- Other land
- 10.0% 30K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Saginaw County received $14.24 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.3× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $14.24
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 1.34×
- 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.
1,284 farms · $242.5M sales
Saginaw County, Michigan reports 1,284 farms and $242.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #725 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #19 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #19 of 83
- National payments rank #725 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.8%
Commodity sales
$242.5M
3.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$4.3M
1.8% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$66.9M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Saginaw County's net farm income sits at the 76th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Saginaw County Farm Data Shows
Saginaw County, Michigan reported 1,284 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $242.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($14.24/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $66.9M. In-state sales rank #19 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 299,187 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 269,150 acres (90.0%) - 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
$14.24 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
299,187 acres
Cropland
269,150 acres
Avg Farm Size
233 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 90.0%
269,150 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 299,187 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 269,150 | 90.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 30,037 | 10.0% |
| Average farm size | 233 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Saginaw County, Michigan?
Saginaw County, Michigan has 1,284 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 233 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Saginaw County?
Saginaw County's total commodity sales are $242.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #19 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Saginaw County receive?
Saginaw County received $4.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($14.24/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Saginaw County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Saginaw County is $66.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Saginaw County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Saginaw (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Franklin County, PA · HEAVY
$4.3M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Saginaw; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Woodford County, IL · HEAVY
$4.3M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Saginaw; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Sumter County, GA · DENSE
$4.3M federal receipts is higher by $6K than Saginaw; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Crittenden County, AR · HEAVY
$4.3M federal receipts is higher by $17K than Saginaw; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Saguache County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Saguache sits near Saginaw on payments-per-acre ($14.25) while total receipts differ.
Coahoma County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Coahoma sits near Saginaw on payments-per-acre ($14.32) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Saginaw stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#725)
Saginaw ranks #725 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
Saginaw County, Michigan stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #725 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.