Farm operations
230
Avg 3,519 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46095 230 farms Bottom quartile (#61/66) 14% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Mellette County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Mellette County. Ranked #61 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
809K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 14.4% 117K acres
- Other land
- 85.6% 692K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Mellette County received $6.10 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.3× the South Dakota county median of $18.22.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $6.10
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 0.34×
- 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.
230 farms · $54.9M sales
Mellette County, South Dakota reports 230 farms and $54.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #624 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #61 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #61 of 66
- National payments rank #624 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 9.0%
Commodity sales
$54.9M
0.33× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$4.9M
9.0% of sales -- High federal dependence
Net farm income
$14.0M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Mellette County's net farm income sits at the 43th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Mellette County Farm Data Shows
Mellette County, South Dakota reported 230 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $54.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.9M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($6.10/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $14.0M. In-state sales rank #61 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 809,354 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 116,914 acres (14.4%) - 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 Dakota.
Land Use
$6.10 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
809,354 acres
Cropland
116,914 acres
Avg Farm Size
3,519 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 14.4%
116,914 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 809,354 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 116,914 | 14.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 692,440 | 85.6% |
| Average farm size | 3,519 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Mellette County, South Dakota?
Mellette County, South Dakota has 230 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 3,519 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Mellette County?
Mellette County's total commodity sales are $54.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #61 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Mellette County receive?
Mellette County received $4.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($6.10/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Mellette County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Mellette County is $14.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Mellette County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Mellette (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Oldham County, TX · LIGHT
$4.9M federal receipts is higher by $5K than Mellette; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Mcpherson County, KS · MID
$4.9M federal receipts is higher by $8K than Mellette; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Rapides County, LA · DENSE
$5.0M federal receipts is higher by $17K than Mellette; land stamp CROP-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Murray County, MN · HEAVY
$4.9M federal receipts is lower by $27K than Mellette; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs PASTURE-LED.
Bent County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Bent sits near Mellette on payments-per-acre ($6.19) while total receipts differ.
Billings County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Billings sits near Mellette on payments-per-acre ($6.45) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Mellette stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#624)
Mellette ranks #624 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
Mellette County, South Dakota stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #624 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.