Farm operations
363
Avg 218 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SC · FIPS 45035 363 farms Lower-middle (#26/46) 55% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Dorchester County, South Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Dorchester County. Ranked #26 of 46 counties in South Carolina.
79K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 54.8% 43K acres
- Other land
- 45.2% 36K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Dorchester County received $26.19 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.6× the South Carolina county median of $10.04.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $26.19
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $10.04
- South Carolina county median per acre
- 2.61×
- 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.
363 farms · $49.1M sales
Dorchester County, South Carolina reports 363 farms and $49.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1320 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #26 of 46 counties in South Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #26 of 46
- National payments rank #1320 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 4.2%
Commodity sales
$49.1M
0.81× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$2.1M
4.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$13.3M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Dorchester 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 Dorchester County Farm Data Shows
Dorchester County, South Carolina reported 363 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $49.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.1M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($26.19/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $13.3M. In-state sales rank #26 of 46 in South Carolina.
Of 79,233 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 43,418 acres (54.8%) - a CROP-LED 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 South Carolina.
Land Use
$26.19 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
79,233 acres
Cropland
43,418 acres
Avg Farm Size
218 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 54.8%
43,418 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 79,233 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 43,418 | 54.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 35,815 | 45.2% |
| Average farm size | 218 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
Dorchester County, South Carolina has 363 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 218 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Dorchester County?
Dorchester County's total commodity sales are $49.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #26 among 46 counties in South Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Dorchester County receive?
Dorchester County received $2.1M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($26.19/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Dorchester County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Dorchester County is $13.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Dorchester County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Dorchester (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Nemaha County, KS · LIGHT
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Dorchester; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Genesee County, NY · HEAVY
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Dorchester; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Allen County, IN · LIGHT
$2.1M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Dorchester; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Lyon County, KS · LIGHT
$2.1M federal receipts is lower by $7K than Dorchester; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Pierce County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Pierce sits near Dorchester on payments-per-acre ($26.55) while total receipts differ.
Perquimans County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Perquimans sits near Dorchester on payments-per-acre ($25.36) while total receipts differ.
South Carolina ERS state roll-up
Dorchester stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside South Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1320)
Dorchester ranks #1320 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
Dorchester County, South Carolina stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1320 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.