Farm operations
498
Avg 396 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census SD · FIPS 46127 498 farms Upper-middle (#33/66) 90% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Union County, South Dakota - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Union County. Ranked #33 of 66 counties in South Dakota.
197K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 90.4% 178K acres
- Other land
- 9.6% 19K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Union County received $11.84 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.
- $11.84
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $18.22
- South Dakota county median per acre
- 0.65×
- 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.
498 farms · $171.9M sales
Union County, South Dakota reports 498 farms and $171.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1233 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #33 of 66 counties in South Dakota; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #33 of 66
- National payments rank #1233 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.4%
Commodity sales
$171.9M
1.0× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$2.3M
1.4% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$50.1M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Union 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 Union County Farm Data Shows
Union County, South Dakota reported 498 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $171.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.3M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($11.84/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $50.1M. In-state sales rank #33 of 66 in South Dakota.
Of 197,254 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 178,315 acres (90.4%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of South Dakota.
Land Use
$11.84 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
197,254 acres
Cropland
178,315 acres
Avg Farm Size
396 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 90.4%
178,315 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 197,254 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 178,315 | 90.4% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 18,939 | 9.6% |
| Average farm size | 396 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Union County, South Dakota?
Union County, South Dakota has 498 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 396 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Union County?
Union County's total commodity sales are $171.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #33 among 66 counties in South Dakota.
How much federal farm assistance does Union County receive?
Union County received $2.3M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($11.84/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Union County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Union County is $50.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Union County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Union (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Monroe County, WI · MID
$2.3M federal receipts is higher by - than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Sumter County, SC · HEAVY
$2.3M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Saluda County, SC · DENSE
$2.3M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Union; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Woodson County, KS · MID
$2.3M federal receipts is lower by $4K than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Genesee County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Genesee sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($11.72) while total receipts differ.
Benton County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Benton sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($11.71) while total receipts differ.
South Dakota ERS state roll-up
Union stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside South Dakota's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1233)
Union ranks #1233 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
Union County, South Dakota stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1233 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.