Farm operations
417
Avg 218 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census TN · FIPS 47157 417 farms Upper-middle (#40/95) 60% cropland MID CROP-LED
Shelby County, Tennessee - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Shelby County. Ranked #40 of 95 counties in Tennessee.
91K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 59.5% 54K acres
- Other land
- 40.5% 37K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Shelby County received $10.99 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 3.2× the Tennessee county median of $3.41.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $10.99
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $3.41
- Tennessee county median per acre
- 3.22×
- Tennessee 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.
417 farms · $39.3M sales
Shelby County, Tennessee reports 417 farms and $39.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1831 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #40 of 95 counties in Tennessee; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #40 of 95
- National payments rank #1831 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.5%
Commodity sales
$39.3M
1.2× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$997K
2.5% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$5.6M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Shelby County's net farm income sits at the 30th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Shelby County Farm Data Shows
Shelby County, Tennessee reported 417 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $39.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $997K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($10.99/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $5.6M. In-state sales rank #40 of 95 in Tennessee.
Of 90,742 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 54,017 acres (59.5%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Tennessee.
Land Use
$10.99 per acre of agricultural land · the median Tennessee county receives $3.41. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
90,742 acres
Cropland
54,017 acres
Avg Farm Size
218 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 59.5%
54,017 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 90,742 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 54,017 | 59.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 36,725 | 40.5% |
| Average farm size | 218 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Shelby County, Tennessee?
Shelby County, Tennessee has 417 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 218 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Shelby County?
Shelby County's total commodity sales are $39.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #40 among 95 counties in Tennessee.
How much federal farm assistance does Shelby County receive?
Shelby County received $997K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($10.99/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Shelby County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Shelby County is $5.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Shelby County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Shelby (MID · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-LED
Carlisle County, KY · MID
$996K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Cecil County, MD · HEAVY
$994K federal receipts is lower by $3K than Shelby; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Ben Hill County, GA · DENSE
$1.0M federal receipts is higher by $5K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Bexar County, TX · LIGHT
$992K federal receipts is lower by $5K than Shelby; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Butte County (MID $/acre pole)
Butte sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($11.04) while total receipts differ.
Fulton County (MID $/acre pole)
Fulton sits near Shelby on payments-per-acre ($11.05) while total receipts differ.
Tennessee ERS state roll-up
Shelby stamps MID · CROP-LED inside Tennessee's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1831)
Shelby ranks #1831 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
Shelby County, Tennessee stamps MID · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1831 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Tennessee compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Tennessee 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.