Farm operations
721
Avg 341 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MN · FIPS 27147 721 farms Upper-middle (#35/87) 94% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Steele County, Minnesota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Steele County. Ranked #35 of 87 counties in Minnesota.
246K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 94.0% 231K acres
- Other land
- 6.0% 15K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Steele County received $13.05 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.8× the Minnesota county median of $16.58.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $13.05
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $16.58
- Minnesota county median per acre
- 0.79×
- 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.
721 farms · $397.0M sales
Steele County, Minnesota reports 721 farms and $397.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #970 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #35 of 87 counties in Minnesota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #35 of 87
- National payments rank #970 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$397.0M
1.3× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$3.2M
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$114.5M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Steele County's net farm income sits at the 87th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Steele County Farm Data Shows
Steele County, Minnesota reported 721 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $397.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($13.05/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $114.5M. In-state sales rank #35 of 87 in Minnesota.
Of 245,834 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 231,083 acres (94.0%) - 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 Minnesota.
Land Use
$13.05 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
245,834 acres
Cropland
231,083 acres
Avg Farm Size
341 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 94.0%
231,083 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 245,834 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 231,083 | 94.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 14,751 | 6.0% |
| Average farm size | 341 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Steele County, Minnesota?
Steele County, Minnesota has 721 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 341 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Steele County?
Steele County's total commodity sales are $397.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #35 among 87 counties in Minnesota.
How much federal farm assistance does Steele County receive?
Steele County received $3.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($13.05/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Steele County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Steele County is $114.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Steele County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Steele (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Ford County, IL · HEAVY
$3.2M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Steele; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Scotland County, MO · HEAVY
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Steele; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Will County, IL · HEAVY
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Steele; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Gillespie County, TX · LIGHT
$3.2M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Steele; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Wood County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Wood sits near Steele on payments-per-acre ($13.12) while total receipts differ.
Johnston County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Johnston sits near Steele on payments-per-acre ($12.94) while total receipts differ.
Minnesota ERS state roll-up
Steele stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Minnesota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#970)
Steele ranks #970 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
Steele County, Minnesota stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #970 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.