Farm operations
1,199
Avg 242 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WI · FIPS 55021 1,199 farms Upper-middle (#21/72) 78% cropland MID CROP-HEAVY
Columbia County, Wisconsin - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Columbia County. Ranked #21 of 72 counties in Wisconsin.
290K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 77.5% 225K acres
- Other land
- 22.5% 65K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Columbia County received $8.79 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.9× the Wisconsin county median of $9.81.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $8.79
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.81
- Wisconsin county median per acre
- 0.90×
- Wisconsin 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.
1,199 farms · $325.8M sales
Columbia County, Wisconsin reports 1,199 farms and $325.8M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1166 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #21 of 72 counties in Wisconsin; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #21 of 72
- National payments rank #1166 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$325.8M
1.5× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$2.5M
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$87.7M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Columbia County's net farm income sits at the 82th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Columbia County Farm Data Shows
Columbia County, Wisconsin reported 1,199 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $325.8M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.5M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($8.79/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $87.7M. In-state sales rank #21 of 72 in Wisconsin.
Of 290,003 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 224,613 acres (77.5%) - a CROP-HEAVY 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 Wisconsin.
Land Use
$8.79 per acre of agricultural land · the median Wisconsin county receives $9.81. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
290,003 acres
Cropland
224,613 acres
Avg Farm Size
242 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 77.5%
224,613 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 290,003 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 224,613 | 77.5% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 65,390 | 22.5% |
| Average farm size | 242 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Columbia County, Wisconsin?
Columbia County, Wisconsin has 1,199 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 242 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Columbia County?
Columbia County's total commodity sales are $325.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #21 among 72 counties in Wisconsin.
How much federal farm assistance does Columbia County receive?
Columbia County received $2.5M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($8.79/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Columbia County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Columbia County is $87.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Columbia County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Columbia (MID · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID CROP-HEAVY
Washtenaw County, MI · HEAVY
$2.5M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Columbia; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Allen County, KS · MID
$2.6M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Columbia; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Hart County, KY · HEAVY
$2.5M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Columbia; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
ST Croix County, WI · MID
$2.5M federal receipts is lower by $8K than Columbia; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Chautauqua County (MID $/acre pole)
Chautauqua sits near Columbia on payments-per-acre ($8.82) while total receipts differ.
Monroe County (MID $/acre pole)
Monroe sits near Columbia on payments-per-acre ($8.87) while total receipts differ.
Wisconsin ERS state roll-up
Columbia stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY inside Wisconsin's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1166)
Columbia ranks #1166 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
Columbia County, Wisconsin stamps MID · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1166 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Wisconsin compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Wisconsin 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.