Farm operations
482
Avg 433 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NE · FIPS 31121 482 farms Upper-middle (#41/93) 79% cropland MID CROP-HEAVY
Merrick County, Nebraska - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Merrick County. Ranked #41 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
209K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 78.7% 164K acres
- Other land
- 21.3% 44K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Merrick County received $9.30 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.0× the Nebraska county median of $9.57.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $9.30
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.57
- Nebraska county median per acre
- 0.97×
- 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.
482 farms · $283.7M sales
Merrick County, Nebraska reports 482 farms and $283.7M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1375 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #41 of 93 counties in Nebraska; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #41 of 93
- National payments rank #1375 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.7%
Commodity sales
$283.7M
1.3× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$1.9M
0.7% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$58.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Merrick 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 Merrick County Farm Data Shows
Merrick County, Nebraska reported 482 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $283.7M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.9M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($9.30/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $58.1M. In-state sales rank #41 of 93 in Nebraska.
Of 208,714 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 164,234 acres (78.7%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Nebraska.
Land Use
$9.30 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
208,714 acres
Cropland
164,234 acres
Avg Farm Size
433 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 78.7%
164,234 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 208,714 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 164,234 | 78.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 44,480 | 21.3% |
| Average farm size | 433 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Merrick County, Nebraska?
Merrick County, Nebraska has 482 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 433 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Merrick County?
Merrick County's total commodity sales are $283.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #41 among 93 counties in Nebraska.
How much federal farm assistance does Merrick County receive?
Merrick County received $1.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($9.30/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Merrick County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Merrick County is $58.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Merrick County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Merrick (MID · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-HEAVY
Decatur County, IN · HEAVY
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Merrick; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Young County, TX · LIGHT
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Merrick; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Augusta County, VA · MID
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $7K than Merrick; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Roberts County, TX · TRACE
$1.9M federal receipts is higher by $8K than Merrick; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Jackson County (MID $/acre pole)
Jackson sits near Merrick on payments-per-acre ($9.27) while total receipts differ.
Newton County (MID $/acre pole)
Newton sits near Merrick on payments-per-acre ($9.26) while total receipts differ.
Nebraska ERS state roll-up
Merrick stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY inside Nebraska's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1375)
Merrick ranks #1375 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
Merrick County, Nebraska stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1375 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.