Farm operations
178
Avg 82 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37043 178 farms Bottom quartile (#94/100) 46% cropland MID MIXED
Clay County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Clay County. Ranked #94 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
15K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 45.6% 7K acres
- Other land
- 54.4% 8K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Clay County received $9.23 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $9.23
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.73×
- 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.
178 farms · $3.6M sales
Clay County, North Carolina reports 178 farms and $3.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2634 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #94 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #94 of 100
- National payments rank #2634 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 3.8%
Commodity sales
$3.6M
0.040× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$134K
3.8% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$196K
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Clay County's net farm income sits at the 15th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Clay County Farm Data Shows
Clay County, North Carolina reported 178 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $3.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $134K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp MID ($9.23/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $196K. In-state sales rank #94 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 14,515 acres agricultural land, cropland is 6,622 acres (45.6%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 82 acres. Federal intensity is MID; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$9.23 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
14,515 acres
Cropland
6,622 acres
Avg Farm Size
82 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 45.6%
6,622 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 14,515 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 6,622 | 45.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 7,893 | 54.4% |
| Average farm size | 82 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Clay County, North Carolina?
Clay County, North Carolina has 178 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 82 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Clay County?
Clay County's total commodity sales are $3.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #94 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Clay County receive?
Clay County received $134K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping MID on NASS payments-per-acre ($9.23/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Clay County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Clay County is $196K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Clay County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Clay (MID · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
MID MIXED
Benton County, MS · TRACE
$134K federal receipts is higher by - than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Knox County, TN · TRACE
$134K federal receipts is higher by - than Clay; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Van Buren County, TN · LIGHT
$134K federal receipts is higher by - than Clay; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Park County, CO · TRACE
$136K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Clay; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Stafford County (MID $/acre pole)
Stafford sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($9.20) while total receipts differ.
Taliaferro County (MID $/acre pole)
Taliaferro sits near Clay on payments-per-acre ($8.99) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Clay stamps MID · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2634)
Clay ranks #2634 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
Clay County, North Carolina stamps MID · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2634 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.