Counties in Minnesota by land in farms

Polk County had the highest land in farms of 87 counties in 2012, at 1,094,956 acres. Ramsey County had the lowest, at 723 acres. The median was 271,737 acres and the figure for Minnesota was 26,035,838 acres. Source: the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest1,094,956Polk County
Lowest723Ramsey County
Median271,73787 counties
Minnesota26,035,838History

Map of counties, 2012

Aitkin County: 122,591 acresAnoka County: 44,843 acresBecker County: 434,917 acresBeltrami County: 180,555 acresBenton County: 188,735 acresBig Stone County: 248,778 acresBlue Earth County: 376,460 acresBrown County: 326,003 acresCarlton County: 92,549 acresCarver County: 155,253 acresCass County: 157,215 acresChippewa County: 335,109 acresChisago County: 113,744 acresClay County: 610,849 acresClearwater County: 166,939 acresCook County: 2,272 acresCottonwood County: 372,767 acresCrow Wing County: 99,972 acresDakota County: 219,856 acresDodge County: 225,418 acresDouglas County: 267,550 acresFaribault County: 390,139 acresFillmore County: 422,484 acresFreeborn County: 382,018 acresGoodhue County: 398,152 acresGrant County: 302,948 acresHennepin County: 68,856 acresHouston County: 229,226 acresHubbard County: 116,941 acresIsanti County: 142,429 acresItasca County: 84,085 acresJackson County: 357,834 acresKanabec County: 128,790 acresKandiyohi County: 415,090 acresKittson County: 470,300 acresKoochiching County: 53,415 acresLac qui Parle County: 446,496 acresLake County: 3,737 acresLake of the Woods County: 90,261 acresLe Sueur County: 241,870 acresLincoln County: 290,940 acresLyon County: 412,896 acresMcLeod County: 263,885 acresMahnomen County: 215,879 acresMarshall County: 820,112 acresMartin County: 428,672 acresMeeker County: 303,795 acresMille Lacs County: 127,834 acresMorrison County: 436,536 acresMower County: 449,784 acresMurray County: 407,919 acresNicollet County: 274,217 acresNobles County: 380,579 acresNorman County: 532,394 acresOlmsted County: 264,407 acresOtter Tail County: 882,348 acresPennington County: 271,737 acresPine County: 203,623 acresPipestone County: 241,970 acresPolk County: 1,094,956 acresPope County: 333,928 acresRamsey County: 723 acresRed Lake County: 198,702 acresRedwood County: 521,453 acresRenville County: 621,639 acresRice County: 236,542 acresRock County: 280,537 acresRoseau County: 555,833 acresSt. Louis County: 127,243 acresScott County: 141,232 acresSherburne County: 112,358 acresSibley County: 346,315 acresStearns County: 757,637 acresSteele County: 237,986 acresStevens County: 319,343 acresSwift County: 361,001 acresTodd County: 393,890 acresTraverse County: 348,429 acresWabasha County: 245,705 acresWadena County: 148,887 acresWaseca County: 231,713 acresWashington County: 80,901 acresWatonwan County: 237,096 acresWilkin County: 444,320 acresWinona County: 277,329 acresWright County: 288,140 acresYellow Medicine County: 395,027 acres
  • Under 120K
  • 120K to 220K
  • 220K to 270K
  • 270K to 360K
  • 360K to 430K
  • 430K and over
acres, 2012. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2012

Polk County: 1,094,956 acresPolk County1,094,956Otter Tail County: 882,348 acresOtter Tail County882,348Marshall County: 820,112 acresMarshall County820,112Stearns County: 757,637 acresStearns County757,637Renville County: 621,639 acresRenville County621,639Clay County: 610,849 acresClay County610,849Roseau County: 555,833 acresRoseau County555,833Norman County: 532,394 acresNorman County532,394Redwood County: 521,453 acresRedwood County521,453Kittson County: 470,300 acresKittson County470,300Mower County: 449,784 acresMower County449,784Lac qui Parle County: 446,496 acresLac qui Parle County446,496Wilkin County: 444,320 acresWilkin County444,320Morrison County: 436,536 acresMorrison County436,536Becker County: 434,917 acresBecker County434,917Martin County: 428,672 acresMartin County428,672Fillmore County: 422,484 acresFillmore County422,484Kandiyohi County: 415,090 acresKandiyohi County415,090Lyon County: 412,896 acresLyon County412,896Murray County: 407,919 acresMurray County407,919Goodhue County: 398,152 acresGoodhue County398,152Yellow Medicine County: 395,027 acresYellow Medicine County395,027Todd County: 393,890 acresTodd County393,890Faribault County: 390,139 acresFaribault County390,139Freeborn County: 382,018 acresFreeborn County382,018Nobles County: 380,579 acresNobles County380,579Blue Earth County: 376,460 acresBlue Earth County376,460Cottonwood County: 372,767 acresCottonwood County372,767Swift County: 361,001 acresSwift County361,001Jackson County: 357,834 acresJackson County357,834Traverse County: 348,429 acresTraverse County348,429Sibley County: 346,315 acresSibley County346,315Chippewa County: 335,109 acresChippewa County335,109Pope County: 333,928 acresPope County333,928Brown County: 326,003 acresBrown County326,003Stevens County: 319,343 acresStevens County319,343Meeker County: 303,795 acresMeeker County303,795Grant County: 302,948 acresGrant County302,948Lincoln County: 290,940 acresLincoln County290,940Wright County: 288,140 acresWright County288,140Polk County: 1,094,956 acresPolk County1,094,956Otter Tail County: 882,348 acresOtter Tail County882,348Marshall County: 820,112 acresMarshall County820,112Stearns County: 757,637 acresStearns County757,637Renville County: 621,639 acresRenville County621,639Clay County: 610,849 acresClay County610,849Roseau County: 555,833 acresRoseau County555,833Norman County: 532,394 acresNorman County532,394Redwood County: 521,453 acresRedwood County521,453Kittson County: 470,300 acresKittson County470,300Mower County: 449,784 acresMower County449,784Lac qui Parle County: 446,496 acresLac qui Parle County446,496Wilkin County: 444,320 acresWilkin County444,320Morrison County: 436,536 acresMorrison County436,536Becker County: 434,917 acresBecker County434,917Martin County: 428,672 acresMartin County428,672Fillmore County: 422,484 acresFillmore County422,484Kandiyohi County: 415,090 acresKandiyohi County415,090Lyon County: 412,896 acresLyon County412,896Murray County: 407,919 acresMurray County407,919Goodhue County: 398,152 acresGoodhue County398,152Yellow Medicine County: 395,027 acresYellow Medicine County395,027Todd County: 393,890 acresTodd County393,890Faribault County: 390,139 acresFaribault County390,139Freeborn County: 382,018 acresFreeborn County382,018Nobles County: 380,579 acresNobles County380,579Blue Earth County: 376,460 acresBlue Earth County376,460Cottonwood County: 372,767 acresCottonwood County372,767Swift County: 361,001 acresSwift County361,001Jackson County: 357,834 acresJackson County357,834Traverse County: 348,429 acresTraverse County348,429Sibley County: 346,315 acresSibley County346,315Chippewa County: 335,109 acresChippewa County335,109Pope County: 333,928 acresPope County333,928Brown County: 326,003 acresBrown County326,003Stevens County: 319,343 acresStevens County319,343Meeker County: 303,795 acresMeeker County303,795Grant County: 302,948 acresGrant County302,948Lincoln County: 290,940 acresLincoln County290,940Wright County: 288,140 acresWright County288,140
acres. Source: USDA NASS, Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) via Data Commons. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankCounties2012
acres
1Polk County1,094,956
2Otter Tail County882,348
3Marshall County820,112
4Stearns County757,637
5Renville County621,639
6Clay County610,849
7Roseau County555,833
8Norman County532,394
9Redwood County521,453
10Kittson County470,300
11Mower County449,784
12Lac qui Parle County446,496
13Wilkin County444,320
14Morrison County436,536
15Becker County434,917
16Martin County428,672
17Fillmore County422,484
18Kandiyohi County415,090
19Lyon County412,896
20Murray County407,919
21Goodhue County398,152
22Yellow Medicine County395,027
23Todd County393,890
24Faribault County390,139
25Freeborn County382,018
26Nobles County380,579
27Blue Earth County376,460
28Cottonwood County372,767
29Swift County361,001
30Jackson County357,834
31Traverse County348,429
32Sibley County346,315
33Chippewa County335,109
34Pope County333,928
35Brown County326,003
36Stevens County319,343
37Meeker County303,795
38Grant County302,948
39Lincoln County290,940
40Wright County288,140
41Rock County280,537
42Winona County277,329
43Nicollet County274,217
44Pennington County271,737
45Douglas County267,550
46Olmsted County264,407
47McLeod County263,885
48Big Stone County248,778
49Wabasha County245,705
50Pipestone County241,970
51Le Sueur County241,870
52Steele County237,986
53Watonwan County237,096
54Rice County236,542
55Waseca County231,713
56Houston County229,226
57Dodge County225,418
58Dakota County219,856
59Mahnomen County215,879
60Pine County203,623
61Red Lake County198,702
62Benton County188,735
63Beltrami County180,555
64Clearwater County166,939
65Cass County157,215
66Carver County155,253
67Wadena County148,887
68Isanti County142,429
69Scott County141,232
70Kanabec County128,790
71Mille Lacs County127,834
72St. Louis County127,243
73Aitkin County122,591
74Hubbard County116,941
75Chisago County113,744
76Sherburne County112,358
77Crow Wing County99,972
78Carlton County92,549
79Lake of the Woods County90,261
80Itasca County84,085
81Washington County80,901
82Hennepin County68,856
83Koochiching County53,415
84Anoka County44,843
85Lake County3,737
86Cook County2,272
87Ramsey County723

Other periods

About this ranking

Land operated by farms in the census year, in acres, including cropland, pasture, woodland and land under farm buildings, as counted by the USDA Census of Agriculture every five years.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2026). Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022) (Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012) [Data set]. Data Commons. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/

MLA 9

Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 11 Oct. 2026, https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Data Commons, https://datacommons.org. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2026. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012. Dataset. Distributed by Data Commons. Accessed October 11, 2026. https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2026) Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022), Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012 [Dataset]. Via Data Commons. Available at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012 (Accessed: 11 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_minnesota_by_2012,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service}},
  title = {{Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  publisher = {Data Commons},
  url = {https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/},
  urldate = {2026-10-11},
  note = {Retrieved through Data Commons (https://datacommons.org). Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012. Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
TI  - Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022): Counties in Minnesota by land in farms, 2012
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/11
PB  - Data Commons
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012
Y2  - 2026/10/11
N1  - Retrieved through Data Commons (https://datacommons.org).
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/land-in-farms/minnesota-counties?period=2012.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture. Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest land in farms?

Polk County, with 1,094,956 acres in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Which county has the lowest land in farms?

Ramsey County, with 723 acres in 2012.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture: land in farms, acres, nation, states and counties (1997 to 2022). Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Land in farms: other rankings

Counties in Minnesota: more rankings