Farm operations
364
Avg 1,248 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MT · FIPS 30043 364 farms Bottom quartile (#49/56) 10% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Jefferson County, Montana - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Jefferson County. Ranked #49 of 56 counties in Montana.
454K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 9.9% 45K acres
- Other land
- 90.1% 410K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Jefferson County received $5.19 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.
- $5.19
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.13
- Montana county median per acre
- 0.73×
- 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.
364 farms · $26.8M sales
Jefferson County, Montana reports 364 farms and $26.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1223 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #49 of 56 counties in Montana; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #49 of 56
- National payments rank #1223 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 8.8%
Commodity sales
$26.8M
0.36× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$2.4M
8.8% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$4.2M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Jefferson County's net farm income sits at the 27th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Jefferson County Farm Data Shows
Jefferson County, Montana reported 364 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $26.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.4M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($5.19/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $4.2M. In-state sales rank #49 of 56 in Montana.
Of 454,324 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 44,778 acres (9.9%) - 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
$5.19 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
454,324 acres
Cropland
44,778 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,248 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 9.9%
44,778 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 454,324 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 44,778 | 9.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 409,546 | 90.1% |
| Average farm size | 1,248 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Jefferson County, Montana?
Jefferson County, Montana has 364 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,248 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Jefferson County?
Jefferson County's total commodity sales are $26.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #49 among 56 counties in Montana.
How much federal farm assistance does Jefferson County receive?
Jefferson County received $2.4M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($5.19/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Jefferson County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Jefferson County is $4.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Jefferson County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Jefferson (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Hampden County, MA · DENSE
$2.4M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Jefferson; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Coles County, IL · MID
$2.4M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Jefferson; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Sevier County, UT · DENSE
$2.4M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Jefferson; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Suffolk City County, VA · DENSE
$2.4M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Jefferson; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Broadwater County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Broadwater sits near Jefferson on payments-per-acre ($5.19) while total receipts differ.
Shackelford County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Shackelford sits near Jefferson on payments-per-acre ($5.20) while total receipts differ.
Montana ERS state roll-up
Jefferson stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside Montana's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1223)
Jefferson ranks #1223 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
Jefferson County, Montana stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1223 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.