Farm operations
838
Avg 157 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MI · FIPS 26159 838 farms Top quartile (#18/83) 74% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Van Buren County, Michigan - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Van Buren County. Ranked #18 of 83 counties in Michigan.
131K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 74.3% 98K acres
- Other land
- 25.7% 34K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Van Buren County received $53.64 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 5.0× the Michigan county median of $10.62.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $53.64
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.62
- Michigan county median per acre
- 5.05×
- 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.
838 farms · $262.3M sales
Van Buren County, Michigan reports 838 farms and $262.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #416 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #18 of 83 counties in Michigan; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #18 of 83
- National payments rank #416 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.7%
Commodity sales
$262.3M
3.2× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$7.1M
2.7% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$69.4M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Van Buren 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 Van Buren County Farm Data Shows
Van Buren County, Michigan reported 838 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $262.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $7.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($53.64/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $69.4M. In-state sales rank #18 of 83 in Michigan.
Of 131,486 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 97,689 acres (74.3%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Michigan.
Land Use
$53.64 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
131,486 acres
Cropland
97,689 acres
Avg Farm Size
157 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 74.3%
97,689 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 131,486 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 97,689 | 74.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 33,797 | 25.7% |
| Average farm size | 157 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Van Buren County, Michigan?
Van Buren County, Michigan has 838 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 157 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Van Buren County?
Van Buren County's total commodity sales are $262.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #18 among 83 counties in Michigan.
How much federal farm assistance does Van Buren County receive?
Van Buren County received $7.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($53.64/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Van Buren County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Van Buren County is $69.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Van Buren County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Van Buren (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Power County, ID · HEAVY
$7.1M federal receipts is higher by $13K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Cherokee County, IA · DENSE
$7.0M federal receipts is lower by $33K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Pettis County, MO · DENSE
$7.1M federal receipts is higher by $34K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Wayne County, IA · DENSE
$7.0M federal receipts is lower by $42K than Van Buren; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Berrien County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Berrien sits near Van Buren on payments-per-acre ($57.73) while total receipts differ.
Ottawa County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Ottawa sits near Van Buren on payments-per-acre ($46.49) while total receipts differ.
Michigan ERS state roll-up
Van Buren stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside Michigan's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#416)
Van Buren ranks #416 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Van Buren County, Michigan stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #416 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.