Farm operations
293
Avg 1,311 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census ND · FIPS 38091 293 farms Lower-middle (#30/53) 95% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Steele County, North Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Steele County. Ranked #30 of 53 counties in North Dakota.
384K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 94.7% 364K acres
- Other land
- 5.3% 21K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Steele County received $46.21 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.6× the North Dakota county median of $28.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $46.21
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $28.16
- North Dakota county median per acre
- 1.64×
- 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.
293 farms · $187.8M sales
Steele County, North Dakota reports 293 farms and $187.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #82 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #30 of 53 counties in North Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #30 of 53
- National payments rank #82 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 9.4%
Commodity sales
$187.8M
0.95× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$17.8M
9.4% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$75.2M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Steele County's net farm income sits at the 78th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Steele County Farm Data Shows
Steele County, North Dakota reported 293 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $187.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $17.8M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($46.21/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $75.2M. In-state sales rank #30 of 53 in North Dakota.
Of 384,113 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 363,602 acres (94.7%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Dakota.
Land Use
$46.21 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
384,113 acres
Cropland
363,602 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,311 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 94.7%
363,602 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 384,113 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 363,602 | 94.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 20,511 | 5.3% |
| Average farm size | 1,311 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Steele County, North Dakota?
Steele County, North Dakota has 293 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,311 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Steele County?
Steele County's total commodity sales are $187.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #30 among 53 counties in North Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Steele County receive?
Steele County received $17.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($46.21/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Steele County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Steele County is $75.2M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Steele County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Steele (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Pierce County, ND · DENSE
$17.7M federal receipts is lower by $25K than Steele; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Mcpherson County, SD · DENSE
$17.9M federal receipts is higher by $138K than Steele; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Kidder County, ND · DENSE
$17.9M federal receipts is higher by $152K than Steele; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Weld County, CO · MID
$17.9M federal receipts is higher by $175K than Steele; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Traill County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Traill sits near Steele on payments-per-acre ($46.15) while total receipts differ.
Guthrie County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Guthrie sits near Steele on payments-per-acre ($46.07) while total receipts differ.
North Dakota ERS state roll-up
Steele stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside North Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#82)
Steele ranks #82 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Steele County, North Dakota stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #82 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.