Farm operations
1,083
Avg 1,433 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NE · FIPS 31041 Top quartile by state sales MID MIXED
Custer County, Nebraska - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Custer County. Ranked #5 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
1,551,863 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 37.1% 576,202 acres
- Other land
- 62.9% 975,661 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Custer County, Nebraska is a MIXED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp MID; commodity sales sit above state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
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 reads as a MIXED county with MID federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 25% to 50% of agricultural land with the balance in pasture, range, woodland or farmsteads, so row-crop and livestock-side programs are both in play; payments per agricultural acre fall in the middle national quintile, $6.98 to $11.30 an acre, a mid-range level of federal support for the land base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 93 of 93 Nebraska counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 93 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 93 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Nebraska.
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
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Custer under the MID intensity band.
What to do with this
Three ways to keep going from Custer County, Nebraska:
- 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.
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).
State Overview
Nebraska
93 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 MID · land stamp MIXED (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.