Farm operations
342
Avg 155 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37133 342 farms Top quartile (#21/100) 64% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Onslow County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Onslow County. Ranked #21 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
53K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 64.0% 34K acres
- Other land
- 36.0% 19K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Onslow County received $31.57 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.5× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $31.57
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 2.51×
- 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.
342 farms · $251.5M sales
Onslow County, North Carolina reports 342 farms and $251.5M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1496 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #21 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #21 of 100
- National payments rank #1496 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.7%
Commodity sales
$251.5M
2.8× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$1.7M
0.7% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$111.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Onslow County's net farm income sits at the 87th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Onslow County Farm Data Shows
Onslow County, North Carolina reported 342 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $251.5M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($31.57/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $111.6M. In-state sales rank #21 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 53,032 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 33,916 acres (64.0%) - 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
$31.57 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
53,032 acres
Cropland
33,916 acres
Avg Farm Size
155 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 64.0%
33,916 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 53,032 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 33,916 | 64.0% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 19,116 | 36.0% |
| Average farm size | 155 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Onslow County, North Carolina?
Onslow County, North Carolina has 342 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 155 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Onslow County?
Onslow County's total commodity sales are $251.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #21 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Onslow County receive?
Onslow County received $1.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($31.57/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Onslow County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Onslow County is $111.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Onslow County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Onslow (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Flathead County, MT · MID
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by - than Onslow; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Marshall County, IL · MID
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Onslow; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Crittenden County, KY · HEAVY
$1.7M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Onslow; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Crow Wing County, MN · HEAVY
$1.7M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Onslow; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Hampshire County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Hampshire sits near Onslow on payments-per-acre ($33.83) while total receipts differ.
Orange County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Orange sits near Onslow on payments-per-acre ($28.48) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Onslow stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1496)
Onslow ranks #1496 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
Onslow County, North Carolina stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1496 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.