Farm operations
1,074
Avg 73 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37021 1,074 farms Lower-middle (#71/100) 27% cropland MID MIXED
Buncombe County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Buncombe County. Ranked #71 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
78K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 26.7% 21K acres
- Other land
- 73.3% 57K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Buncombe County received $9.76 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.8× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $9.76
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.78×
- North Carolina median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
1,074 farms · $35.5M sales
Buncombe County, North Carolina reports 1,074 farms and $35.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1986 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #71 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #71 of 100
- National payments rank #1986 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.2%
Commodity sales
$35.5M
0.40× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$764K
2.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$-1.5M
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Buncombe County's net farm income sits at the 8th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Buncombe County Farm Data Shows
Buncombe County, North Carolina reported 1,074 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $35.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $764K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($9.76/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $-1.5M. In-state sales rank #71 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 78,245 acres agricultural land, cropland is 20,879 acres (26.7%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 73 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$9.76 per acre of agricultural land · the median North Carolina county receives $12.60. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
78,245 acres
Cropland
20,879 acres
Avg Farm Size
73 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 26.7%
20,879 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 78,245 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 20,879 | 26.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 57,366 | 73.3% |
| Average farm size | 73 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Buncombe County, North Carolina?
Buncombe County, North Carolina has 1,074 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 73 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Buncombe County?
Buncombe County's total commodity sales are $35.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #71 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Buncombe County receive?
Buncombe County received $764K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($9.76/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Buncombe County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Buncombe County is $-1.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Buncombe County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Buncombe (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Surry County, VA · HEAVY
$764K federal receipts is higher by - than Buncombe; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Russell County, AL · LIGHT
$765K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Buncombe; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Baxter County, AR · MID
$765K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Buncombe; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Ogemaw County, MI · MID
$763K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Buncombe; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Louisa County (MID $/acre pole)
Louisa sits near Buncombe on payments-per-acre ($9.67) while total receipts differ.
Holmes County (MID $/acre pole)
Holmes sits near Buncombe on payments-per-acre ($9.98) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Buncombe stamps MID · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1986)
Buncombe ranks #1986 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the MID intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Buncombe County, North Carolina stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1986 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how North Carolina compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. North Carolina state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.