Thomas County, Nebraska
Thomas County, NE: land and buildings $1,065 an acre in the 2022 census. County averages from public records, not an appraisal of any farm. FIPS 31171. Figures as of 2026-09-20.
Groundwater supplies 92 percent of irrigation water in Thomas County, drawn from 749 registered wells, with 50 irrigation wells showing no decommission date on record. Median well depth is 220.5 feet, and median static water level when the wells were drilled was 33.5 feet. Land value rose 36.5 percent from 2017-2022, 6.4 percent a year, against a census value of $1,065 per acre in 2022. Drought was present in 348 of 1357 weeks from 2000-2025, 25.6 percent of weeks, with 2013 the worst year at 53 weeks; 2021-2025 saw 103 such weeks. Crop insurance indemnities from 1989-2020 totaled $267,532, with hail the largest cause at 72 percent, and heat and drought at 32 percent of indemnities from 2010-2019.
NE median $4,499 · 3rd lowest of 93
NE median 49% · 4th lowest of 93
Cash rent
Land value
Corn yield
Crop insurance record
Claims paid divided by total premium (the farmer share plus the federal subsidy), each closed crop year since 1989. Above the dashed line, the county's insurance book paid out more than it took in. 2026, still open, is left out.
Drought and weather
Weeks per year, U.S. Drought Monitor, with half the county or more in D2 (severe) drought or worse.
Land, water and programs
Acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, USDA FSA, by fiscal year.
Next door
| County | Dry rent | Irr. rent | Land value | Corn yield | Claims per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas County | — | — | $1,065 | — | — |
| Blaine County | $39 2023 | $187 2025 | $1,317 | — | $6.14 |
| Cherry County | — | $176 | $1,224 | — | $5.98 |
| Hooker County | — | — | $1,028 | — | — |
| Logan County | $49 | $191 | $1,355 | 170.2 | $5.07 |
| McPherson County | $40 2025 | $146 | $1,006 | — | $8.38 |
| Median next door | $49 1 co. | $176 | $1,224 | 170.2 1 co. | $6.06 |
Counties that share a stretch of boundary. An older rent carries its year and stays out of the median.
Cite this page
AGSIST Farmland Atlas. Thomas County, Nebraska. Figures as of 2026-09-20, from USDA NASS, USDA RMA, USDA FSA, the U.S. Drought Monitor and NOAA. https://agsist.com/farmland-atlas/nebraska/thomas-countyEvery figure is a county average from the sources named below. Ranks count counties with 10,000 acres or more in farms, in the same survey year for rent, within the state. Methods: how each figure is built. Downloads: all counties, CSV.
Sources, dates and arithmetic
"Figures as of" is the date this page's numbers last changed; it moves only when a figure on the page does. Source files and their retrieval dates are listed on the data page.
Rent: USDA NASS Cash Rents Survey, county. Land value: Census of Agriculture, operators' estimate of land and buildings. Yield: NASS county corn yields, trend fitted here over every published year since 2008. Loss ratio: claims (indemnity) divided by total premium, USDA RMA Summary of Business, 1989 on, open crop year left out. Drought: U.S. Drought Monitor, weeks with half the county or more in D2 or worse. July lows: NOAA nClimDiv county monthly minimum temperature. A dash means the record does not carry the figure or the source withheld it; the reason is printed beside it.