Farm operations
298
Avg 57 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37111 298 farms Bottom quartile (#83/100) 28% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Mcdowell County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Mcdowell County. Ranked #83 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
17K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 28.3% 5K acres
- Other land
- 71.7% 12K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Mcdowell County received $6.69 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.
- $6.69
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.53×
- 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.
298 farms · $17.4M sales
Mcdowell County, North Carolina reports 298 farms and $17.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2666 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #83 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #83 of 100
- National payments rank #2666 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.7%
Commodity sales
$17.4M
0.20× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$114K
0.7% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$3.6M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Mcdowell County's net farm income sits at the 25th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Mcdowell County Farm Data Shows
Mcdowell County, North Carolina reported 298 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $17.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $114K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($6.69/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $3.6M. In-state sales rank #83 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 17,041 acres agricultural land, cropland is 4,823 acres (28.3%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 57 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$6.69 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
17,041 acres
Cropland
4,823 acres
Avg Farm Size
57 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 28.3%
4,823 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 17,041 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 4,823 | 28.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 12,218 | 71.7% |
| Average farm size | 57 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Mcdowell County, North Carolina?
Mcdowell County, North Carolina has 298 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 57 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Mcdowell County?
Mcdowell County's total commodity sales are $17.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #83 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Mcdowell County receive?
Mcdowell County received $114K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($6.69/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Mcdowell County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Mcdowell County is $3.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Mcdowell County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Mcdowell (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Montgomery County, KY · TRACE
$114K federal receipts is higher by - than Mcdowell; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Carroll County, NH · LIGHT
$113K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Mcdowell; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Sullivan County, TN · TRACE
$113K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Mcdowell; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Grays Harbor County, WA · TRACE
$113K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Mcdowell; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Macon County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Macon sits near Mcdowell on payments-per-acre ($6.55) while total receipts differ.
Ohio County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Ohio sits near Mcdowell on payments-per-acre ($6.46) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Mcdowell stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2666)
Mcdowell ranks #2666 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
Mcdowell County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2666 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.