Economic Class as a Measure of Farmers' Welfare

Special tabulations from Internal Revenue Service provide an opportunity for agricultural economists to show that average income of farm operator families distributed by size of farm business receipts gives a misleading indication of the well-being of farm families. For 1970, the distribution of farm taxpayers by basic income classes varies considerably within, as well as between, farm receipt classes. Thus, a small farm business does not mean that the family has a low income, since many receive income from off-farm sources.