Farm operations
362
Avg 986 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46003 362 farms Lower-middle (#36/66) 68% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Aurora County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Aurora County. Ranked #36 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
357K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 68.0% 243K acres
- Other land
- 32.0% 114K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Aurora County received $22.12 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.2× the South Dakota county median of $18.22.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $22.12
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 1.21×
- South 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.
362 farms · $152.4M sales
Aurora County, South Dakota reports 362 farms and $152.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #361 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #36 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #36 of 66
- National payments rank #361 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 5.2%
Commodity sales
$152.4M
0.91× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$7.9M
5.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$50.0M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Aurora County's net farm income sits at the 69th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Aurora County Farm Data Shows
Aurora County, South Dakota reported 362 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $152.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $7.9M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($22.12/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $50.0M. In-state sales rank #36 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 356,901 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 242,529 acres (68.0%) - 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 Dakota.
Land Use
$22.12 per acre of agricultural land · the median South Dakota county receives $18.22. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
356,901 acres
Cropland
242,529 acres
Avg Farm Size
986 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 68.0%
242,529 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 356,901 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 242,529 | 68.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 114,372 | 32.0% |
| Average farm size | 986 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Aurora County, South Dakota?
Aurora County, South Dakota has 362 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 986 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Aurora County?
Aurora County's total commodity sales are $152.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #36 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Aurora County receive?
Aurora County received $7.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($22.12/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Aurora County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Aurora County is $50.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Aurora County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Aurora (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Pottawattamie County, IA · HEAVY
$7.9M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Aurora; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Shelby County, IA · DENSE
$7.9M federal receipts is lower by $8K than Aurora; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Maricopa County, AZ · HEAVY
$7.9M federal receipts is higher by $25K than Aurora; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Dewey County, OK · HEAVY
$7.9M federal receipts is lower by $28K than Aurora; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Labette County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Labette sits near Aurora on payments-per-acre ($21.92) while total receipts differ.
San Patricio County (DENSE $/acre pole)
San Patricio sits near Aurora on payments-per-acre ($21.82) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Aurora stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#361)
Aurora ranks #361 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
Aurora County, South Dakota stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #361 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how South Dakota compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. South 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.