Farm operations
701
Avg 2,645 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30041 Top quartile by state sales HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Hill County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Hill County. Ranked #3 of 56 counties in Montana.
1,854,358 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 75.8% 1,405,565 acres
- Other land
- 24.2% 448,793 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Hill County received $14.41 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.0× the Montana county median of $7.13.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $14.41
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 2.02×
- 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Hill County, Montana is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp HEAVY; commodity sales sit above state median and it shows high federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$189.0M
2.5× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$26.7M
14.1% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$56.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Hill County's net farm income sits at the 72th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Hill County Farm Data Shows
Hill County, Montana reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with HEAVY federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 75% or more of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; payments per agricultural acre fall in the second-highest national quintile, $11.30 to $18.39 an acre, heavy federal support relative to the acreage.
The state comparisons on this page use the 56 of 56 Montana counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 54 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 51 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Montana.
Read with Hill County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Hill (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Edmunds County, SD · DENSE
$26.9M federal receipts is higher by $198K than Hill; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Walsh County, ND · DENSE
$25.8M federal receipts is lower by $944K than Hill; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Mchenry County, ND · DENSE
$25.7M federal receipts is lower by $1.0M than Hill; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Terry County, TX · DENSE
$25.5M federal receipts is lower by $1.2M than Hill; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Kern County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Kern sits near Hill on payments-per-acre ($14.21) while total receipts differ.
Lyman County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Lyman sits near Hill on payments-per-acre ($14.66) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Hill stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Hill under the HEAVY intensity band.
What to do with this
Three places to go next from Hill County, Montana:
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Hill County, Montana?
Hill County, Montana has 701 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 2,645 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Hill County?
Hill County's total commodity sales are $189.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #3 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Hill County receive?
Hill County received $26.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($14.41/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Hill County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Hill County is $56.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Montana
56 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp HEAVY · land stamp CROP-HEAVY (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
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.