Farm operations
589
Avg 1,498 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46115 589 farms Top quartile (#1/66) 82% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Spink County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Spink County. Ranked #1 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
882K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 81.5% 719K acres
- Other land
- 18.5% 164K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Spink County received $22.36 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.
- $22.36
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 1.23×
- 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.
589 farms · $551.5M sales
Spink County, South Dakota reports 589 farms and $551.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #61 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #1 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #1 of 66
- National payments rank #61 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 3.6%
Commodity sales
$551.5M
3.3× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$19.7M
3.6% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$251.0M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Spink County's net farm income sits at the 98th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Spink County Farm Data Shows
Spink County, South Dakota reported 589 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $551.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $19.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($22.36/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $251.0M. In-state sales rank #1 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 882,273 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 718,746 acres (81.5%) - a CROP-HEAVY 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
$22.36 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
882,273 acres
Cropland
718,746 acres
Avg Farm Size
1,498 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 81.5%
718,746 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 882,273 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 718,746 | 81.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 163,527 | 18.5% |
| Average farm size | 1,498 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Spink County, South Dakota?
Spink County, South Dakota has 589 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 1,498 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Spink County?
Spink County's total commodity sales are $551.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #1 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Spink County receive?
Spink County received $19.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($22.36/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Spink County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Spink County is $251.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Spink County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Spink (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Grant County, ND · DENSE
$19.7M federal receipts is lower by $45K than Spink; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Swisher County, TX · DENSE
$19.6M federal receipts is lower by $172K than Spink; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Sonoma County, CA · DENSE
$19.5M federal receipts is lower by $213K than Spink; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Adams County, WA · DENSE
$19.4M federal receipts is lower by $347K than Spink; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Thomas County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Thomas sits near Spink on payments-per-acre ($22.04) while total receipts differ.
Mchenry County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Mchenry sits near Spink on payments-per-acre ($22.81) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Spink stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#61)
Spink ranks #61 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
Spink County, South Dakota stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #61 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.