Farm operations
379
Avg 5,639 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30017 379 farms Upper-middle (#24/56) 6% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Custer County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Custer County. Ranked #24 of 56 counties in Montana.
2.14M acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 6.4% 136K acres
- Other land
- 93.6% 2.00M acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Custer County received $4.78 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the Montana county median of $7.13.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.78
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 0.67×
- Montana 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.
379 farms · $84.6M sales
Custer County, Montana reports 379 farms and $84.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #251 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 56 counties in Montana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #24 of 56
- National payments rank #251 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 12.1%
Commodity sales
$84.6M
1.1× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$10.2M
12.1% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$20.0M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Custer County's net farm income sits at the 50th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Custer County Farm Data Shows
Custer County, Montana reported 379 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $84.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $10.2M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.78/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $20.0M. In-state sales rank #24 of 56 in Montana.
Of 2,137,368 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 136,135 acres (6.4%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Montana.
Land Use
$4.78 per acre of agricultural land · the median Montana county receives $7.13. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
2,137,368 acres
Cropland
136,135 acres
Avg Farm Size
5,639 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 6.4%
136,135 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 2,137,368 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 136,135 | 6.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 2,001,233 | 93.6% |
| Average farm size | 5,639 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Custer County, Montana?
Custer County, Montana has 379 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 5,639 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Custer County?
Custer County's total commodity sales are $84.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #24 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Custer County receive?
Custer County received $10.2M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.78/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Custer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Custer County is $20.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Custer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Custer (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Lincoln County, MN · DENSE
$10.2M federal receipts is higher by $24K than Custer; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Avoyelles County, LA · DENSE
$10.2M federal receipts is lower by $38K than Custer; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Livingston County, IL · HEAVY
$10.2M federal receipts is lower by $47K than Custer; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Crook County, WY · LIGHT
$10.3M federal receipts is higher by $104K than Custer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Chaves County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Chaves sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($4.27) while total receipts differ.
Rosebud County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Rosebud sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($3.98) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Custer stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#251)
Custer ranks #251 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Custer County, Montana stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #251 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Montana compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Montana 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.