Farm operations
296
Avg 1,526 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census ND · FIPS 38057 296 farms Bottom quartile (#50/53) 42% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Mercer County, North Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Mercer County. Ranked #50 of 53 counties in North Dakota.
452K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 41.8% 189K acres
- Other land
- 58.2% 263K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Mercer County received $18.33 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the North Dakota county median of $28.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $18.33
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $28.16
- North Dakota county median per acre
- 0.65×
- North Dakota 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.
296 farms · $73.9M sales
Mercer County, North Dakota reports 296 farms and $73.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #340 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #50 of 53 counties in North Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #50 of 53
- National payments rank #340 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 11.2%
Commodity sales
$73.9M
0.37× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$8.3M
11.2% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$27.5M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Mercer County's net farm income sits at the 56th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Mercer County Farm Data Shows
Mercer County, North Dakota reported 296 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $73.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $8.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($18.33/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $27.5M. In-state sales rank #50 of 53 in North Dakota.
Of 451,663 acres agricultural land, cropland is 189,015 acres (41.8%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 1,526 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Dakota.
Land Use
$18.33 per acre of agricultural land · the median North Dakota county receives $28.16. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
451,663 acres
Cropland
189,015 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,526 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 41.8%
189,015 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 451,663 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 189,015 | 41.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 262,648 | 58.2% |
| Average farm size | 1,526 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Mercer County, North Dakota?
Mercer County, North Dakota has 296 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,526 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Mercer County?
Mercer County's total commodity sales are $73.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #50 among 53 counties in North Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Mercer County receive?
Mercer County received $8.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($18.33/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Mercer County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Mercer County is $27.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Mercer County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Mercer (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
Klickitat County, WA · HEAVY
$8.3M federal receipts is higher by $33K than Mercer; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Stanley County, SD · MID
$8.2M federal receipts is lower by $49K than Mercer; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Fisher County, TX · DENSE
$8.2M federal receipts is lower by $50K than Mercer; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
San Diego County, CA · DENSE
$8.3M federal receipts is higher by $55K than Mercer; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Greeley County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Greeley sits near Mercer on payments-per-acre ($18.37) while total receipts differ.
Dundy County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Dundy sits near Mercer on payments-per-acre ($18.39) while total receipts differ.
North Dakota ERS state roll-up
Mercer stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside North Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#340)
Mercer ranks #340 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Mercer County, North Dakota stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #340 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how North Dakota compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. North Dakota 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.