Farm operations
49
Avg 6,133 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46017 49 farms Bottom quartile (#62/66) 30% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Buffalo County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Buffalo County. Ranked #62 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
301K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 30.2% 91K acres
- Other land
- 69.8% 210K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Buffalo County received $12.44 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the South Dakota county median of $18.22.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.44
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 0.68×
- 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.
49 farms · $54.6M sales
Buffalo County, South Dakota reports 49 farms and $54.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #829 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #62 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #62 of 66
- National payments rank #829 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 6.9%
Commodity sales
$54.6M
0.32× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$3.7M
6.9% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$10.7M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Buffalo County's net farm income sits at the 39th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Buffalo County Farm Data Shows
Buffalo County, South Dakota reported 49 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $54.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.44/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $10.7M. In-state sales rank #62 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 300,533 acres agricultural land, cropland is 90,716 acres (30.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 6,133 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of South Dakota.
Land Use
$12.44 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
300,533 acres
Cropland
90,716 acres
Avg Farm Size
6,133 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 30.2%
90,716 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 300,533 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 90,716 | 30.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 209,817 | 69.8% |
| Average farm size | 6,133 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Buffalo County, South Dakota?
Buffalo County, South Dakota has 49 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 6,133 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Buffalo County?
Buffalo County's total commodity sales are $54.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #62 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Buffalo County receive?
Buffalo County received $3.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.44/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Buffalo County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Buffalo County is $10.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Buffalo County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Buffalo (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
San Juan County, UT · TRACE
$3.7M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Buffalo; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Jefferson County, OR · LIGHT
$3.7M federal receipts is lower by $9K than Buffalo; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Archer County, TX · LIGHT
$3.8M federal receipts is higher by $12K than Buffalo; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Bedford County, VA · DENSE
$3.7M federal receipts is lower by $15K than Buffalo; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Oregon County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Oregon sits near Buffalo on payments-per-acre ($12.44) while total receipts differ.
Page County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Page sits near Buffalo on payments-per-acre ($12.43) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Buffalo stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#829)
Buffalo ranks #829 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Buffalo County, South Dakota stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #829 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.