Farm operations
412
Avg 89 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37071 412 farms Bottom quartile (#78/100) 44% cropland HEAVY MIXED
Gaston County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Gaston County. Ranked #78 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
37K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 44.3% 16K acres
- Other land
- 55.7% 21K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Gaston County received $15.08 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.2× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.08
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 1.20×
- 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.
412 farms · $26.9M sales
Gaston County, North Carolina reports 412 farms and $26.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2143 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #78 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #78 of 100
- National payments rank #2143 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.1%
Commodity sales
$26.9M
0.30× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$556K
2.1% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$4.4M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Gaston County's net farm income sits at the 27th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Gaston County Farm Data Shows
Gaston County, North Carolina reported 412 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $26.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $556K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($15.08/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $4.4M. In-state sales rank #78 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 36,859 acres agricultural land, cropland is 16,323 acres (44.3%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 89 acres. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$15.08 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
36,859 acres
Cropland
16,323 acres
Avg Farm Size
89 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 44.3%
16,323 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 36,859 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 16,323 | 44.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 20,536 | 55.7% |
| Average farm size | 89 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Gaston County, North Carolina?
Gaston County, North Carolina has 412 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 89 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Gaston County?
Gaston County's total commodity sales are $26.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #78 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Gaston County receive?
Gaston County received $556K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.08/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Gaston County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Gaston County is $4.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Gaston County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Gaston (HEAVY · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY MIXED
Georgetown County, SC · MID
$555K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Gaston; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
San Bernardino County, CA · HEAVY
$558K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Gaston; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Meade County, KY · LIGHT
$558K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Gaston; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Somerset County, NJ · DENSE
$558K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Gaston; land stamp CROP-LED vs MIXED.
Lafayette County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Lafayette sits near Gaston on payments-per-acre ($15.03) while total receipts differ.
Twiggs County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Twiggs sits near Gaston on payments-per-acre ($14.92) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Gaston stamps HEAVY · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2143)
Gaston ranks #2143 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Gaston County, North Carolina stamps HEAVY · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2143 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.