Agriculture and related businesses and industries represent an important element of the county's economy. Le Sueur County is a major producer of agricultural commodities in Minnesota. The major crops and livestock species include corn, soybeans, hogs, beef and dairy. The county also produces significant amounts of hay, canning crops and small grain. Livestock production accounts for 45-50% of total farm receipts. In 2012, (the latest data available) Le Sueur County had 1,051 operational farms which produced a total cash income of $224,307,000.00. In 2015, farmers reported harvesting 18,426,000 bushels of corn and 5,213,000 bushels of soybeans.
Le Sueur County has eight school districts within the county. The school districts of Le Sueur-Henderson, Cleveland, Tri-City United (Montgomery-Lonsdale-Le Center), and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown are all headquartered in Le Sueur County. The remaining four districts of Belle Plaine, Mankato, New Prague, and St. Peter are headquartered in different counties, but have students living within Le Sueur County.