Farm operations
814
Avg 670 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census TX · FIPS 48321 814 farms Top quartile (#40/254) 27% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Matagorda County, Texas - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Matagorda County. Ranked #40 of 254 counties in Texas.
546K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 26.8% 146K acres
- Other land
- 73.2% 400K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Matagorda County received $17.15 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.8× the Texas county median of $6.14.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $17.15
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.14
- Texas county median per acre
- 2.79×
- Texas 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.
814 farms · $157.1M sales
Matagorda County, Texas reports 814 farms and $157.1M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #290 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 254 counties in Texas; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #40 of 254
- National payments rank #290 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 6.0%
Commodity sales
$157.1M
3.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$9.4M
6.0% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$53.3M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Matagorda County's net farm income sits at the 70th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Matagorda County Farm Data Shows
Matagorda County, Texas reported 814 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $157.1M in total commodity sales and receiving $9.4M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($17.15/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $53.3M. In-state sales rank #40 of 254 in Texas.
Of 545,730 acres agricultural land, cropland is 146,069 acres (26.8%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 670 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Texas.
Land Use
$17.15 per acre of agricultural land · the median Texas county receives $6.14. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
545,730 acres
Cropland
146,069 acres
Avg Farm Size
670 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 26.8%
146,069 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 545,730 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 146,069 | 26.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 399,661 | 73.2% |
| Average farm size | 670 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Matagorda County, Texas?
Matagorda County, Texas has 814 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 670 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Matagorda County?
Matagorda County's total commodity sales are $157.1M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #40 among 254 counties in Texas.
How much federal farm assistance does Matagorda County receive?
Matagorda County received $9.4M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($17.15/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Matagorda County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Matagorda County is $53.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Matagorda County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Matagorda (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
Webster County, IA · DENSE
$9.4M federal receipts is higher by $21K than Matagorda; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Beckham County, OK · DENSE
$9.4M federal receipts is higher by $26K than Matagorda; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Clay County, IA · DENSE
$9.3M federal receipts is lower by $29K than Matagorda; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs MIXED.
Big Horn County, MT · TRACE
$9.3M federal receipts is lower by $35K than Matagorda; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Alfalfa County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Alfalfa sits near Matagorda on payments-per-acre ($17.19) while total receipts differ.
Decatur County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Decatur sits near Matagorda on payments-per-acre ($16.94) while total receipts differ.
Texas ERS state roll-up
Matagorda stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside Texas's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#290)
Matagorda ranks #290 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
Matagorda County, Texas stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #290 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Texas compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Texas 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.