Farm operations
461
Avg 793 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NE · FIPS 31035 461 farms Top quartile (#14/93) 83% cropland LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Clay County, Nebraska - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Clay County. Ranked #14 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
366K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 82.9% 303K acres
- Other land
- 17.1% 63K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Clay County received $4.17 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.4× the Nebraska county median of $9.57.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.17
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.57
- Nebraska county median per acre
- 0.44×
- Nebraska 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.
461 farms · $581.6M sales
Clay County, Nebraska reports 461 farms and $581.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1557 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #14 of 93 counties in Nebraska; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #14 of 93
- National payments rank #1557 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.3%
Commodity sales
$581.6M
2.6× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.5M
0.3% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$186.7M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Clay County's net farm income sits at the 95th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Clay County Farm Data Shows
Clay County, Nebraska reported 461 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $581.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.5M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.17/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $186.7M. In-state sales rank #14 of 93 in Nebraska.
Of 365,518 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 302,950 acres (82.9%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Nebraska.
Land Use
$4.17 per acre of agricultural land · the median Nebraska county receives $9.57. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
365,518 acres
Cropland
302,950 acres
Avg Farm Size
793 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 82.9%
302,950 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 365,518 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 302,950 | 82.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 62,568 | 17.1% |
| Average farm size | 793 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Clay County, Nebraska?
Clay County, Nebraska has 461 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 793 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Clay County?
Clay County's total commodity sales are $581.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #14 among 93 counties in Nebraska.
How much federal farm assistance does Clay County receive?
Clay County received $1.5M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.17/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Clay County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Clay County is $186.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Clay County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Clay (LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-HEAVY
Dallas County, MO · MID
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Morgan County, UT · LIGHT
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Clay; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Caldwell County, KY · HEAVY
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $6K than Clay; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Morgan County, MO · MID
$1.5M federal receipts is lower by $6K than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Summit County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Summit sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($4.22) while total receipts differ.
Anderson County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Anderson sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($4.09) while total receipts differ.
Nebraska ERS state roll-up
Clay stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY inside Nebraska's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1557)
Clay ranks #1557 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
Clay County, Nebraska stamps LIGHT · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1557 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Nebraska compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Nebraska 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.