Farm operations
1,019
Avg 469 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MN · FIPS 27013 1,019 farms Top quartile (#3/87) 95% cropland MID CROP-HEAVY
Blue Earth County, Minnesota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Blue Earth County. Ranked #3 of 87 counties in Minnesota.
478K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 94.7% 453K acres
- Other land
- 5.3% 25K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Blue Earth County received $11.13 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the Minnesota county median of $16.58.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $11.13
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $16.58
- Minnesota county median per acre
- 0.67×
- Minnesota 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.
1,019 farms · $838.0M sales
Blue Earth County, Minnesota reports 1,019 farms and $838.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #586 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #3 of 87 counties in Minnesota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #3 of 87
- National payments rank #586 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.6%
Commodity sales
$838.0M
2.7× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$5.3M
0.6% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$264.0M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Blue Earth County's net farm income sits at the 98th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Blue Earth County Farm Data Shows
Blue Earth County, Minnesota reported 1,019 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $838.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $5.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($11.13/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $264.0M. In-state sales rank #3 of 87 in Minnesota.
Of 478,133 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 452,711 acres (94.7%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Minnesota.
Land Use
$11.13 per acre of agricultural land · the median Minnesota county receives $16.58. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
478,133 acres
Cropland
452,711 acres
Avg Farm Size
469 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 94.7%
452,711 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 478,133 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 452,711 | 94.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 25,422 | 5.3% |
| Average farm size | 469 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Blue Earth County, Minnesota?
Blue Earth County, Minnesota has 1,019 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 469 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Blue Earth County?
Blue Earth County's total commodity sales are $838.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #3 among 87 counties in Minnesota.
How much federal farm assistance does Blue Earth County receive?
Blue Earth County received $5.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($11.13/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Blue Earth County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Blue Earth County is $264.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Blue Earth County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Blue Earth (MID · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-HEAVY
Cass County, IA · HEAVY
$5.3M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Blue Earth; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Lac Qui Parle County, MN · HEAVY
$5.3M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Blue Earth; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Boyd County, NE · DENSE
$5.3M federal receipts is higher by $9K than Blue Earth; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Prairie County, MT · MID
$5.3M federal receipts is higher by $10K than Blue Earth; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Hodgeman County (MID $/acre pole)
Hodgeman sits near Blue Earth on payments-per-acre ($11.02) while total receipts differ.
Gage County (MID $/acre pole)
Gage sits near Blue Earth on payments-per-acre ($11.01) while total receipts differ.
Minnesota ERS state roll-up
Blue Earth stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY inside Minnesota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#586)
Blue Earth ranks #586 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Blue Earth County, Minnesota stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #586 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Minnesota compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Minnesota 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.