Farm Family Income – Its Distribution and Relation to Non-Farm Income

Excerpts from the report Introduction: There is at present widespread concern over farm incomes and the problems associated with farm incomes. In part, this concern stems from evidence that farm incomes have been stationary or declining during a period when nonfarm incomes have been increasing. This general concern is related also to the wide variations in levels of farm income that occur among regions or areas. Because of these trends in farm income, there has been in some quarters concern about the future of the "family farm." This report was prepared as a contribution to existing information about the distribution of farm income and the relationship of farm and nonfarm income within relatively homogeneous areas of the various States. The geographic segments used for presentation of data are the 360 State economic areas of the United States. These relatively homogeneous areas were delineated by the Bureau of the Census in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, other interested Federal agencies, and the State agricultural colleges. The income data for families and unrelated individuals that were used are total money income for the year 1949. This total money income consists of: (1) Wages and salaries received, (2) net money income received from farm and nonfarm self-employment, and (3) other income received, such as interest, dividends, rents, royalties, veterans' allowances, and pensions.