Farm operations
153
Avg 4,817 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30037 153 farms Bottom quartile (#45/56) 15% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Golden Valley County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Golden Valley County. Ranked #45 of 56 counties in Montana.
737K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 14.8% 109K acres
- Other land
- 85.2% 628K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Golden Valley County received $5.42 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.8× the Montana county median of $7.13.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $5.42
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 0.76×
- 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.
153 farms · $32.8M sales
Golden Valley County, Montana reports 153 farms and $32.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #771 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #45 of 56 counties in Montana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #45 of 56
- National payments rank #771 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 12.2%
Commodity sales
$32.8M
0.44× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$4.0M
12.2% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$7.7M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Golden Valley County's net farm income sits at the 34th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Golden Valley County Farm Data Shows
Golden Valley County, Montana reported 153 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $32.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($5.42/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $7.7M. In-state sales rank #45 of 56 in Montana.
Of 736,973 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 109,013 acres (14.8%) - 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
$5.42 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
736,973 acres
Cropland
109,013 acres
Avg Farm Size
4,817 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 14.8%
109,013 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 736,973 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 109,013 | 14.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 627,960 | 85.2% |
| Average farm size | 4,817 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Golden Valley County, Montana?
Golden Valley County, Montana has 153 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 4,817 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Golden Valley County?
Golden Valley County's total commodity sales are $32.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #45 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Golden Valley County receive?
Golden Valley County received $4.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($5.42/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Golden Valley County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Golden Valley County is $7.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Golden Valley County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Golden Valley (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Howard County, MO · DENSE
$4.0M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Golden Valley; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Hopkins County, TX · HEAVY
$4.0M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Golden Valley; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Lenoir County, NC · DENSE
$4.0M federal receipts is lower by $11K than Golden Valley; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Trego County, KS · MID
$4.0M federal receipts is higher by $12K than Golden Valley; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Ford County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Ford sits near Golden Valley on payments-per-acre ($5.56) while total receipts differ.
Wheatland County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Wheatland sits near Golden Valley on payments-per-acre ($5.57) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Golden Valley stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#771)
Golden Valley ranks #771 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
Golden Valley County, Montana stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #771 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.