Farm operations
346
Avg 64 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37113 346 farms Bottom quartile (#90/100) 24% cropland LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Macon County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Macon County. Ranked #90 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
22K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 23.8% 5K acres
- Other land
- 76.2% 17K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Macon County received $6.55 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.5× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $6.55
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.52×
- 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.
346 farms · $6.7M sales
Macon County, North Carolina reports 346 farms and $6.7M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2617 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #90 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #90 of 100
- National payments rank #2617 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 2.2%
Commodity sales
$6.7M
0.075× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$144K
2.2% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$-994K
2022 cash income -- Net loss
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Macon County's net farm income sits at the 9th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Macon County Farm Data Shows
Macon County, North Carolina reported 346 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $6.7M in total commodity sales and receiving $144K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($6.55/acre); land stamp PASTURE-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $-994K. In-state sales rank #90 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 21,973 acres agricultural land, cropland is only 5,223 acres (23.8%) - a PASTURE-LED mix where livestock forage and disaster titles (LFP/ELAP) usually outweigh row-crop commodity programs. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$6.55 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
21,973 acres
Cropland
5,223 acres
Avg Farm Size
64 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 23.8%
5,223 cropland acres · PASTURE-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 21,973 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 5,223 | 23.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 16,750 | 76.2% |
| Average farm size | 64 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Macon County, North Carolina?
Macon County, North Carolina has 346 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 64 acres; land stamp PASTURE-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Macon County?
Macon County's total commodity sales are $6.7M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #90 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Macon County receive?
Macon County received $144K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($6.55/acre) with a PASTURE-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Macon County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Macon County is $-994K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Macon County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Macon (LIGHT · PASTURE-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT PASTURE-LED
Rockcastle County, KY · TRACE
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Macon; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Washington County, KY · TRACE
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Macon; land stamp MIXED vs PASTURE-LED.
Dukes County, MA · DENSE
$144K federal receipts is higher by - than Macon; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Meriwether County, GA · TRACE
$145K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Macon; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs PASTURE-LED.
Ohio County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Ohio sits near Macon on payments-per-acre ($6.46) while total receipts differ.
Mcdowell County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Mcdowell sits near Macon on payments-per-acre ($6.69) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Macon stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2617)
Macon ranks #2617 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
Macon County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · PASTURE-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2617 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.