Farm operations
579
Avg 2,329 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46019 579 farms Bottom quartile (#52/66) 9% cropland MID PASTURE-LED
Butte County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Butte County. Ranked #52 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
1.35M acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 9.1% 123K acres
- Other land
- 90.9% 1.23M acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Butte County received $8.82 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.5× the South Dakota county median of $18.22.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $8.82
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 0.48×
- 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.
579 farms · $92.1M sales
Butte County, South Dakota reports 579 farms and $92.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #188 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #52 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #52 of 66
- National payments rank #188 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 12.9%
Commodity sales
$92.1M
0.55× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$11.9M
12.9% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$16.0M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Butte County's net farm income sits at the 45th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Butte County Farm Data Shows
Butte County, South Dakota reported 579 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $92.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $11.9M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($8.82/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $16.0M. In-state sales rank #52 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 1,348,702 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 122,872 acres (9.1%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of South Dakota.
Land Use
$8.82 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
1,348,702 acres
Cropland
122,872 acres
Avg Farm Size
2,329 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 9.1%
122,872 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 1,348,702 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 122,872 | 9.1% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 1,225,830 | 90.9% |
| Average farm size | 2,329 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Butte County, South Dakota?
Butte County, South Dakota has 579 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 2,329 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Butte County?
Butte County's total commodity sales are $92.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #52 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Butte County receive?
Butte County received $11.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($8.82/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Butte County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Butte County is $16.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Butte County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Butte (MID · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID PASTURE-LED
Logan County, CO · MID
$11.9M federal receipts is lower by $9K than Butte; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Rolette County, ND · DENSE
$11.9M federal receipts is lower by $22K than Butte; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Sac County, IA · DENSE
$11.9M federal receipts is lower by $44K than Butte; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Ziebach County, SD · HEAVY
$11.9M federal receipts is lower by $45K than Butte; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Powder River County (MID $/acre pole)
Powder River sits near Butte on payments-per-acre ($8.77) while total receipts differ.
Fremont County (MID $/acre pole)
Fremont sits near Butte on payments-per-acre ($8.90) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Butte stamps MID · PASTURE-LED inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#188)
Butte ranks #188 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
Butte County, South Dakota stamps MID · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #188 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.