Farm operations
1,558
Avg 92 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census PA · FIPS 42029 Top quartile by state sales MID CROP-LED
Chester County, Pennsylvania - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Chester County. Ranked #2 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
143,442 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 66.1% 94,847 acres
- Other land
- 33.9% 48,595 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Chester County received $9.59 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.1× the Pennsylvania county median of $8.38.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $9.59
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $8.38
- Pennsylvania county median per acre
- 1.14×
- Pennsylvania 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, Chester County, Pennsylvania is a CROP-LED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp MID; commodity sales sit far above state median and it shows low federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$736.1M
10.6× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$1.4M
0.2% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$183.0M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Chester County's net farm income sits at the 95th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Chester County Farm Data Shows
Chester County, Pennsylvania reads as a CROP-LED county with MID federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 50% to 75% 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 67 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 62 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 60 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Pennsylvania.
Read with Chester County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Chester (MID · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-LED
Moore County, NC · HEAVY
$1.4M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Chester; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Marshall County, KS · TRACE
$1.4M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Chester; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Nuckolls County, NE · LIGHT
$1.4M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Chester; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Genesee County, MI · HEAVY
$1.4M federal receipts is lower by $8K than Chester; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Armstrong County (MID $/acre pole)
Armstrong sits near Chester on payments-per-acre ($9.57) while total receipts differ.
Cass County (MID $/acre pole)
Cass sits near Chester on payments-per-acre ($9.64) while total receipts differ.
Pennsylvania ERS state roll-up
Chester stamps MID · CROP-LED inside Pennsylvania'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 Chester under the MID intensity band.
What to do with this
From Chester County, Pennsylvania, these three pages are the natural next reads:
- See how Pennsylvania compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Pennsylvania 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 Chester County, Pennsylvania?
Chester County, Pennsylvania has 1,558 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 92 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Chester County?
Chester County's total commodity sales are $736.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #2 among 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
How much federal farm assistance does Chester County receive?
Chester County received $1.4M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($9.59/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Chester County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Chester County is $183.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Pennsylvania
67 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-LED (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.