Farm operations
2,284
Avg 197 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WI · FIPS 55025 2,284 farms Top quartile (#2/72) 81% cropland HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Dane County, Wisconsin - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Dane County. Ranked #2 of 72 counties in Wisconsin.
449K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 81.3% 366K acres
- Other land
- 18.7% 84K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Dane County received $12.60 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.3× the Wisconsin county median of $9.81.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $12.60
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.81
- Wisconsin county median per acre
- 1.28×
- 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.
2,284 farms · $653.4M sales
Dane County, Wisconsin reports 2,284 farms and $653.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #539 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #2 of 72 counties in Wisconsin; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #2 of 72
- National payments rank #539 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.9%
Commodity sales
$653.4M
3.1× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$5.7M
0.9% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$172.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Dane County's net farm income sits at the 94th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Dane County Farm Data Shows
Dane County, Wisconsin reported 2,284 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $653.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $5.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($12.60/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $172.6M. In-state sales rank #2 of 72 in Wisconsin.
Of 449,464 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 365,559 acres (81.3%) - 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 Wisconsin.
Land Use
$12.60 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
449,464 acres
Cropland
365,559 acres
Avg Farm Size
197 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 81.3%
365,559 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 449,464 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 365,559 | 81.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 83,905 | 18.7% |
| Average farm size | 197 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Dane County, Wisconsin?
Dane County, Wisconsin has 2,284 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 197 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Dane County?
Dane County's total commodity sales are $653.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #2 among 72 counties in Wisconsin.
How much federal farm assistance does Dane County receive?
Dane County received $5.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($12.60/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Dane County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Dane County is $172.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Dane County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Dane (HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-HEAVY
Madison County, NE · DENSE
$5.7M federal receipts is higher by - than Dane; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Chariton County, MO · HEAVY
$5.7M federal receipts is higher by $16K than Dane; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Martin County, NC · DENSE
$5.7M federal receipts is higher by $19K than Dane; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Ray County, MO · DENSE
$5.7M federal receipts is higher by $22K than Dane; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Klamath County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Klamath sits near Dane on payments-per-acre ($12.63) while total receipts differ.
Starr County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Starr sits near Dane on payments-per-acre ($12.73) while total receipts differ.
Wisconsin ERS state roll-up
Dane stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY inside Wisconsin's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#539)
Dane ranks #539 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
Dane County, Wisconsin stamps HEAVY · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #539 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.