Farm operations
964
Avg 181 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37101 964 farms Top quartile (#19/100) 67% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Johnston County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Johnston County. Ranked #19 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
174K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 67.2% 117K acres
- Other land
- 32.8% 57K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Johnston County received $21.61 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 1.7× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $21.61
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 1.72×
- 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.
964 farms · $300.0M sales
Johnston County, North Carolina reports 964 farms and $300.0M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #825 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #19 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #19 of 100
- National payments rank #825 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.3%
Commodity sales
$300.0M
3.4× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$3.8M
1.3% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$81.9M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Johnston County's net farm income sits at the 80th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Johnston County Farm Data Shows
Johnston County, North Carolina reported 964 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $300.0M in total commodity sales and receiving $3.8M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($21.61/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $81.9M. In-state sales rank #19 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 174,111 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 117,085 acres (67.2%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$21.61 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
174,111 acres
Cropland
117,085 acres
Avg Farm Size
181 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 67.2%
117,085 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 174,111 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 117,085 | 67.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 57,026 | 32.8% |
| Average farm size | 181 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Johnston County, North Carolina?
Johnston County, North Carolina has 964 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 181 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Johnston County?
Johnston County's total commodity sales are $300.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #19 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Johnston County receive?
Johnston County received $3.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($21.61/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Johnston County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Johnston County is $81.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Johnston County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Johnston (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Kiowa County, KS · MID
$3.8M federal receipts is higher by - than Johnston; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Fannin County, TX · MID
$3.8M federal receipts is lower by $6K than Johnston; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Clay County, AR · HEAVY
$3.8M federal receipts is higher by $7K than Johnston; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Boone County, AR · HEAVY
$3.8M federal receipts is higher by $11K than Johnston; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Polk County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Polk sits near Johnston on payments-per-acre ($21.60) while total receipts differ.
Bertie County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Bertie sits near Johnston on payments-per-acre ($21.41) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Johnston stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#825)
Johnston ranks #825 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Johnston County, North Carolina stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #825 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.