Farm operations
779
Avg 2,972 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30027 779 farms Top quartile (#5/56) 27% cropland MID MIXED
Fergus County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Fergus County. Ranked #5 of 56 counties in Montana.
2.32M acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 26.5% 614K acres
- Other land
- 73.5% 1.70M acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Fergus County received $10.68 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.5× the Montana county median of $7.13.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $10.68
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 1.50×
- 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.
779 farms · $160.1M sales
Fergus County, Montana reports 779 farms and $160.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #32 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #5 of 56 counties in Montana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #5 of 56
- National payments rank #32 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 15.5%
Commodity sales
$160.1M
2.2× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$24.7M
15.5% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$45.8M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Fergus County's net farm income sits at the 66th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Fergus County Farm Data Shows
Fergus County, Montana reported 779 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $160.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $24.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($10.68/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $45.8M. In-state sales rank #5 of 56 in Montana.
Of 2,315,398 acres agricultural land, cropland is 614,375 acres (26.5%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 2,972 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Montana.
Land Use
$10.68 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
2,315,398 acres
Cropland
614,375 acres
Avg Farm Size
2,972 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 26.5%
614,375 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 2,315,398 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 614,375 | 26.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 1,701,023 | 73.5% |
| Average farm size | 2,972 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Fergus County, Montana?
Fergus County, Montana has 779 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 2,972 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Fergus County?
Fergus County's total commodity sales are $160.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #5 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Fergus County receive?
Fergus County received $24.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($10.68/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Fergus County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Fergus County is $45.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Fergus County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Fergus (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Kittson County, MN · DENSE
$24.5M federal receipts is lower by $213K than Fergus; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Traill County, ND · DENSE
$24.5M federal receipts is lower by $256K than Fergus; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Bottineau County, ND · DENSE
$25.0M federal receipts is higher by $284K than Fergus; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Valley County, MT · HEAVY
$25.1M federal receipts is higher by $403K than Fergus; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Phillips County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Phillips sits near Fergus on payments-per-acre ($11.33) while total receipts differ.
Perkins County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Perkins sits near Fergus on payments-per-acre ($11.39) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Fergus stamps MID · MIXED inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#32)
Fergus ranks #32 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
Fergus County, Montana stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #32 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.