Farm operations
557
Avg 206 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SC · FIPS 45023 557 farms Lower-middle (#31/46) 24% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Chester County, South Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Chester County. Ranked #31 of 46 counties in South Carolina.
115K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 23.6% 27K acres
- Other land
- 76.4% 88K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Chester County received $3.76 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.4× the South Carolina county median of $10.04.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $3.76
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.04
- South Carolina county median per acre
- 0.37×
- South Carolina 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.
557 farms · $38.0M sales
Chester County, South Carolina reports 557 farms and $38.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2246 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #31 of 46 counties in South Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #31 of 46
- National payments rank #2246 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.1%
Commodity sales
$38.0M
0.62× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$432K
1.1% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$13.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Chester County's net farm income sits at the 42th 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, South Carolina reported 557 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $38.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $432K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($3.76/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $13.1M. In-state sales rank #31 of 46 in South Carolina.
Of 114,795 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 27,126 acres (23.6%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of South Carolina.
Land Use
$3.76 per acre of agricultural land · the median South Carolina county receives $10.04. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
114,795 acres
Cropland
27,126 acres
Avg Farm Size
206 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 23.6%
27,126 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 114,795 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 27,126 | 23.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 87,669 | 76.4% |
| Average farm size | 206 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Chester County, South Carolina?
Chester County, South Carolina has 557 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 206 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Chester County?
Chester County's total commodity sales are $38.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #31 among 46 counties in South Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Chester County receive?
Chester County received $432K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($3.76/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Chester County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Chester County is $13.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Chester County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Chester (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Essex County, MA · DENSE
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Chester; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Santa FE County, NM · TRACE
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Chester; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Grand County, UT · TRACE
$432K federal receipts is higher by - than Chester; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Montgomery County, AL · TRACE
$431K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Chester; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Rutland County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Rutland sits near Chester on payments-per-acre ($3.75) while total receipts differ.
Dutchess County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Dutchess sits near Chester on payments-per-acre ($3.74) while total receipts differ.
South Carolina ERS state roll-up
Chester stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside South Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2246)
Chester ranks #2246 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Chester County, South Carolina stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2246 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how South Carolina compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. South Carolina 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.