Farm operations
655
Avg 849 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MN · FIPS 27027 655 farms Upper-middle (#25/87) 92% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Clay County, Minnesota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Clay County. Ranked #25 of 87 counties in Minnesota.
556K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 91.5% 509K acres
- Other land
- 8.5% 47K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Clay County received $19.75 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.2× the Minnesota county median of $16.58.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $19.75
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $16.58
- Minnesota county median per acre
- 1.19×
- 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.
655 farms · $466.0M sales
Clay County, Minnesota reports 655 farms and $466.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #219 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 87 counties in Minnesota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #25 of 87
- National payments rank #219 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.4%
Commodity sales
$466.0M
1.5× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$11.0M
2.4% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$177.5M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Clay County's net farm income sits at the 95th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Clay County Farm Data Shows
Clay County, Minnesota reported 655 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $466.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $11.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($19.75/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $177.5M. In-state sales rank #25 of 87 in Minnesota.
Of 556,161 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 508,962 acres (91.5%) - a CROP-HEAVY 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 Minnesota.
Land Use
$19.75 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
556,161 acres
Cropland
508,962 acres
Avg Farm Size
849 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 91.5%
508,962 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 556,161 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 508,962 | 91.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 47,199 | 8.5% |
| Average farm size | 849 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Clay County, Minnesota?
Clay County, Minnesota has 655 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 849 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Clay County?
Clay County's total commodity sales are $466.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #25 among 87 counties in Minnesota.
How much federal farm assistance does Clay County receive?
Clay County received $11.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($19.75/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Clay County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Clay County is $177.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Clay County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Clay (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Cascade County, MT · MID
$11.0M federal receipts is lower by $18K than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Bailey County, TX · DENSE
$11.0M federal receipts is higher by $21K than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Sully County, SD · DENSE
$10.9M federal receipts is lower by $66K than Clay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Butler County, IA · DENSE
$10.9M federal receipts is lower by $69K than Clay; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Stanislaus County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Stanislaus sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($19.65) while total receipts differ.
Renville County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Renville sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($19.58) while total receipts differ.
Minnesota ERS state roll-up
Clay stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside Minnesota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#219)
Clay ranks #219 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
Clay County, Minnesota stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #219 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.