Farm operations
1,558
Avg 92 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census PA · FIPS 42029 1,558 farms Top quartile (#2/67) 66% cropland MID CROP-LED
Chester County, Pennsylvania - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Chester County. Ranked #2 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
143K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 66.1% 95K acres
- Other land
- 33.9% 49K 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.
1,558 farms · $736.1M sales
Chester County, Pennsylvania reports 1,558 farms and $736.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1633 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #2 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #2 of 67
- National payments rank #1633 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.2%
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 reported 1,558 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $736.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.4M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($9.59/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $183.0M. In-state sales rank #2 of 67 in Pennsylvania.
Of 143,442 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 94,847 acres (66.1%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Pennsylvania.
Land Use
$9.59 per acre of agricultural land · the median Pennsylvania county receives $8.38. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
143,442 acres
Cropland
94,847 acres
Avg Farm Size
92 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 66.1%
94,847 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 143,442 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 94,847 | 66.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 48,595 | 33.9% |
| Average farm size | 92 | acres / farm |
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).
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 (#1633)
Chester ranks #1633 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Chester County, Pennsylvania stamps MID · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1633 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- 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.
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.