Farm operations
482
Avg 433 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NE · FIPS 31121 Upper-middle by state sales MID CROP-HEAVY
Merrick County, Nebraska - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Merrick County. Ranked #41 of 93 counties in Nebraska.
208,714 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 78.7% 164,234 acres
- Other land
- 21.3% 44,480 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Merrick County, Nebraska is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp MID; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
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 reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with MID federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 75% or more of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; 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 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
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Merrick under the MID intensity band.
What to do with this
Where to go after Merrick 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 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).
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 CROP-HEAVY (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.