Farm operations
1,076
Avg 106 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37037 1,076 farms Top quartile (#15/100) 30% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Chatham County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Chatham County. Ranked #15 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
114K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 29.6% 34K acres
- Other land
- 70.4% 80K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Chatham County received $4.01 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.3× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.01
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.32×
- 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.
1,076 farms · $339.6M sales
Chatham County, North Carolina reports 1,076 farms and $339.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2223 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #15 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #15 of 100
- National payments rank #2223 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.1%
Commodity sales
$339.6M
3.8× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$457K
0.1% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$93.4M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Chatham County's net farm income sits at the 84th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Chatham County Farm Data Shows
Chatham County, North Carolina reported 1,076 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $339.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $457K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.01/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $93.4M. In-state sales rank #15 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 114,051 acres agricultural land, cropland is 33,799 acres (29.6%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 106 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$4.01 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
114,051 acres
Cropland
33,799 acres
Avg Farm Size
106 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 29.6%
33,799 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 114,051 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 33,799 | 29.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 80,252 | 70.4% |
| Average farm size | 106 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Chatham County, North Carolina?
Chatham County, North Carolina has 1,076 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 106 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Chatham County?
Chatham County's total commodity sales are $339.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #15 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Chatham County receive?
Chatham County received $457K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.01/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Chatham County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Chatham County is $93.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Chatham County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Chatham (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Eagle County, CO · LIGHT
$456K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Chatham; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
DE Kalb County, AL · TRACE
$459K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Chatham; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Maury County, TN · TRACE
$455K federal receipts is lower by $2K than Chatham; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Bradford County, FL · MID
$454K federal receipts is lower by $3K than Chatham; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
DE Soto County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
DE Soto sits near Chatham on payments-per-acre ($3.99) while total receipts differ.
Oktibbeha County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Oktibbeha sits near Chatham on payments-per-acre ($3.99) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Chatham stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2223)
Chatham ranks #2223 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the LIGHT intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Chatham County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2223 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.