Farm operations
687
Avg 77 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37135 687 farms Lower-middle (#72/100) 39% cropland LIGHT MIXED
Orange County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Orange County. Ranked #72 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
53K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 39.2% 21K acres
- Other land
- 60.8% 32K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Orange County received $4.96 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.4× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $4.96
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.39×
- 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.
687 farms · $32.4M sales
Orange County, North Carolina reports 687 farms and $32.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2432 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #72 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #72 of 100
- National payments rank #2432 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$32.4M
0.36× state median -- Well below state median
Federal payments
$263K
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$2.5M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
D
Farm economy grade: D -- Orange County's net farm income sits at the 23th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Orange County Farm Data Shows
Orange County, North Carolina reported 687 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $32.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $263K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.96/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $2.5M. In-state sales rank #72 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 53,068 acres agricultural land, cropland is 20,783 acres (39.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 77 acres. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$4.96 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
53,068 acres
Cropland
20,783 acres
Avg Farm Size
77 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 39.2%
20,783 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 53,068 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 20,783 | 39.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 32,285 | 60.8% |
| Average farm size | 77 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Orange County, North Carolina?
Orange County, North Carolina has 687 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 77 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Orange County?
Orange County's total commodity sales are $32.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #72 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Orange County receive?
Orange County received $263K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.96/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Orange County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Orange County is $2.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Orange County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Orange (LIGHT · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT MIXED
Owen County, KY · TRACE
$263K federal receipts is higher by - than Orange; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Vernon County, LA · MID
$263K federal receipts is higher by - than Orange; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Wakulla County, FL · UNPUB
$264K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Orange; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Jackson County, OH · LIGHT
$264K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Orange; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Washington County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Washington sits near Orange on payments-per-acre ($5.00) while total receipts differ.
Putnam County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Putnam sits near Orange on payments-per-acre ($5.07) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Orange stamps LIGHT · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2432)
Orange ranks #2432 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
Orange County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2432 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.