Farm operations
1,019
Avg 158 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30029 1,019 farms Lower-middle (#33/56) 45% cropland MID MIXED
Flathead County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Flathead County. Ranked #33 of 56 counties in Montana.
161K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 45.0% 72K acres
- Other land
- 55.0% 88K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Flathead County received $10.41 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.
- $10.41
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 1.46×
- 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.
1,019 farms · $58.5M sales
Flathead County, Montana reports 1,019 farms and $58.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1495 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #33 of 56 counties in Montana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #33 of 56
- National payments rank #1495 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.9%
Commodity sales
$58.5M
0.79× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$1.7M
2.9% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$6.7M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Flathead County's net farm income sits at the 32th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Flathead County Farm Data Shows
Flathead County, Montana reported 1,019 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $58.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($10.41/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $6.7M. In-state sales rank #33 of 56 in Montana.
Of 160,817 acres agricultural land, cropland is 72,436 acres (45.0%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 158 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Montana.
Land Use
$10.41 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
160,817 acres
Cropland
72,436 acres
Avg Farm Size
158 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 45.0%
72,436 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 160,817 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 72,436 | 45.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 88,381 | 55.0% |
| Average farm size | 158 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Flathead County, Montana?
Flathead County, Montana has 1,019 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 158 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Flathead County?
Flathead County's total commodity sales are $58.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #33 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Flathead County receive?
Flathead County received $1.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($10.41/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Flathead County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Flathead County is $6.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Flathead County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Flathead (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Onslow County, NC · DENSE
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by - than Flathead; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Marshall County, IL · MID
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Flathead; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Crittenden County, KY · HEAVY
$1.7M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Flathead; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Crow Wing County, MN · HEAVY
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Flathead; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Cherokee County (MID $/acre pole)
Cherokee sits near Flathead on payments-per-acre ($10.40) while total receipts differ.
Greene County (MID $/acre pole)
Greene sits near Flathead on payments-per-acre ($10.38) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Flathead stamps MID · MIXED inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1495)
Flathead ranks #1495 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
Flathead County, Montana stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1495 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.