Farm operations
99
Avg 600 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census VA · FIPS 51057 99 farms Upper-middle (#32/98) 77% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Essex County, Virginia - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Essex County. Ranked #32 of 98 counties in Virginia.
59K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 76.8% 46K acres
- Other land
- 23.2% 14K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Essex County received $12.75 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.8× the Virginia county median of $6.99.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.75
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $6.99
- Virginia county median per acre
- 1.82×
- Virginia 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.
99 farms · $41.8M sales
Essex County, Virginia reports 99 farms and $41.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1990 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #32 of 98 counties in Virginia; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #32 of 98
- National payments rank #1990 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.8%
Commodity sales
$41.8M
1.5× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$757K
1.8% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$7.9M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Essex County's net farm income sits at the 34th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Essex County Farm Data Shows
Essex County, Virginia reported 99 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $41.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $757K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.75/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $7.9M. In-state sales rank #32 of 98 in Virginia.
Of 59,380 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 45,576 acres (76.8%) - 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 Virginia.
Land Use
$12.75 per acre of agricultural land · the median Virginia county receives $6.99. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
59,380 acres
Cropland
45,576 acres
Avg Farm Size
600 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 76.8%
45,576 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 59,380 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 45,576 | 76.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 13,804 | 23.2% |
| Average farm size | 600 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Essex County, Virginia?
Essex County, Virginia has 99 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 600 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Essex County?
Essex County's total commodity sales are $41.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #32 among 98 counties in Virginia.
How much federal farm assistance does Essex County receive?
Essex County received $757K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.75/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Essex County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Essex County is $7.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Essex County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Essex (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Sanders County, MT · TRACE
$757K federal receipts is higher by - than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Haywood County, NC · HEAVY
$756K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Essex; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Hubbard County, MN · MID
$759K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Essex; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Johnson County, AR · MID
$752K federal receipts is lower by $5K than Essex; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Nelson County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Nelson sits near Essex on payments-per-acre ($12.67) while total receipts differ.
Merrimack County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Merrimack sits near Essex on payments-per-acre ($12.96) while total receipts differ.
Virginia ERS state roll-up
Essex stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Virginia's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1990)
Essex ranks #1990 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
Essex County, Virginia stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1990 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Virginia compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Virginia 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.