Farm operations
459
Avg 1,215 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census ND · FIPS 38063 Lower-middle by state sales DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Nelson County, North Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Nelson County. Ranked #32 of 53 counties in North Dakota.
557,763 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 86.6% 482,785 acres
- Other land
- 13.4% 74,978 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Nelson County received $24.89 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.9× the North Dakota county median of $28.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $24.89
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $28.16
- North Dakota county median per acre
- 0.88×
- 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Nelson County, North Dakota is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows above-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$179.5M
0.91× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$13.9M
7.7% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$70.7M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Nelson County's net farm income sits at the 77th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Nelson County Farm Data Shows
Nelson County, North Dakota reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with DENSE 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 highest national quintile, $18.39 an acre or more, federal receipts concentrated on a small farmed base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 53 of 53 North Dakota counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 53 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 53 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Dakota.
Read with Nelson County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Nelson (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Madera County, CA · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $45K than Nelson; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Kossuth County, IA · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $47K than Nelson; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Morrison County, MN · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $52K than Nelson; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Knox County, NE · DENSE
$13.8M federal receipts is lower by $80K than Nelson; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Rolette County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Rolette sits near Nelson on payments-per-acre ($25.24) while total receipts differ.
Glenn County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Glenn sits near Nelson on payments-per-acre ($25.31) while total receipts differ.
North Dakota ERS state roll-up
Nelson stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside North Dakota'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 Nelson under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Three places to go next from Nelson County, North Dakota:
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Nelson County, North Dakota?
Nelson County, North Dakota has 459 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,215 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Nelson County?
Nelson County's total commodity sales are $179.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #32 among 53 counties in North Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Nelson County receive?
Nelson County received $13.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($24.89/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Nelson County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Nelson County is $70.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
North Dakota
53 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 DENSE · 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.