Farm operations
1,083
Avg 1,433 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NE · FIPS 31041 1,083 farms Top quartile (#5/93) 37% cropland MID MIXED
Custer County, Nebraska - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Custer County. Ranked #5 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
1.55M acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 37.1% 576K acres
- Other land
- 62.9% 976K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Custer County received $7.96 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.8× the Nebraska county median of $9.57.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $7.96
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.57
- Nebraska county median per acre
- 0.83×
- 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.
1,083 farms · $993.9M sales
Custer County, Nebraska reports 1,083 farms and $993.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #179 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #5 of 93 counties in Nebraska; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #5 of 93
- National payments rank #179 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.2%
Commodity sales
$993.9M
4.4× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$12.3M
1.2% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$162.9M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Custer County's net farm income sits at the 93th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Custer County Farm Data Shows
Custer County, Nebraska reported 1,083 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $993.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $12.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($7.96/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $162.9M. In-state sales rank #5 of 93 in Nebraska.
Of 1,551,863 acres agricultural land, cropland is 576,202 acres (37.1%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 1,433 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Nebraska.
Land Use
$7.96 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
1,551,863 acres
Cropland
576,202 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,433 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 37.1%
576,202 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 1,551,863 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 576,202 | 37.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 975,661 | 62.9% |
| Average farm size | 1,433 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Custer County, Nebraska?
Custer County, Nebraska has 1,083 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,433 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Custer County?
Custer County's total commodity sales are $993.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #5 among 93 counties in Nebraska.
How much federal farm assistance does Custer County receive?
Custer County received $12.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($7.96/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Custer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Custer County is $162.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Custer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Custer (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Carroll County, IA · DENSE
$12.4M federal receipts is higher by $61K than Custer; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Hawaii County, HI · DENSE
$12.3M federal receipts is lower by $68K than Custer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Osage County, OK · MID
$12.3M federal receipts is lower by $77K than Custer; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Sherman County, KS · HEAVY
$12.3M federal receipts is lower by $80K than Custer; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Cascade County (MID $/acre pole)
Cascade sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($8.04) while total receipts differ.
Powder River County (MID $/acre pole)
Powder River sits near Custer on payments-per-acre ($8.77) while total receipts differ.
Nebraska ERS state roll-up
Custer stamps MID · MIXED inside Nebraska's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#179)
Custer ranks #179 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
Custer County, Nebraska stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #179 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.