Farm operations
576
Avg 442 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MO · FIPS 29205 576 farms Top quartile (#24/114) 73% cropland HEAVY CROP-LED
Shelby County, Missouri - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Shelby County. Ranked #24 of 114 counties in Missouri.
255K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 73.4% 187K acres
- Other land
- 26.6% 68K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Shelby County received $12.52 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.1× the Missouri county median of $11.75.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.52
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $11.75
- Missouri county median per acre
- 1.07×
- Missouri 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.
576 farms · $198.1M sales
Shelby County, Missouri reports 576 farms and $198.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #974 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #24 of 114 counties in Missouri; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #24 of 114
- National payments rank #974 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.6%
Commodity sales
$198.1M
1.8× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$3.2M
1.6% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$69.3M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Shelby 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 Shelby County Farm Data Shows
Shelby County, Missouri reported 576 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $198.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.52/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $69.3M. In-state sales rank #24 of 114 in Missouri.
Of 254,810 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 186,994 acres (73.4%) - a CROP-LED 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 Missouri.
Land Use
$12.52 per acre of agricultural land · the median Missouri county receives $11.75. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
254,810 acres
Cropland
186,994 acres
Avg Farm Size
442 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 73.4%
186,994 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 254,810 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 186,994 | 73.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 67,816 | 26.6% |
| Average farm size | 442 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Shelby County, Missouri?
Shelby County, Missouri has 576 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 442 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Shelby County?
Shelby County's total commodity sales are $198.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #24 among 114 counties in Missouri.
How much federal farm assistance does Shelby County receive?
Shelby County received $3.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.52/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Shelby County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Shelby County is $69.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Shelby County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Shelby (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Gratiot County, MI · MID
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Millard County, UT · MID
$3.2M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Gillespie County, TX · LIGHT
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $13K than Shelby; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Ford County, IL · HEAVY
$3.2M federal receipts is higher by $17K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Green County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Green sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($12.56) while total receipts differ.
Sedgwick County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Sedgwick sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($12.44) while total receipts differ.
Missouri ERS state roll-up
Shelby stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Missouri's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#974)
Shelby ranks #974 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
Shelby County, Missouri stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #974 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Missouri compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Missouri 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.