Farm operations
801
Avg 131 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37159 801 farms Upper-middle (#45/100) 59% cropland LIGHT CROP-LED
Rowan County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Rowan County. Ranked #45 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
105K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 58.8% 62K acres
- Other land
- 41.2% 43K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Rowan County received $4.54 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.
- $4.54
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.36×
- 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.
801 farms · $96.6M sales
Rowan County, North Carolina reports 801 farms and $96.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2209 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #45 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #45 of 100
- National payments rank #2209 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.5%
Commodity sales
$96.6M
1.1× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$476K
0.5% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$21.6M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Rowan County's net farm income sits at the 51th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Rowan County Farm Data Shows
Rowan County, North Carolina reported 801 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $96.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $476K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.54/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $21.6M. In-state sales rank #45 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 104,888 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 61,695 acres (58.8%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is LIGHT; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$4.54 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
104,888 acres
Cropland
61,695 acres
Avg Farm Size
131 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 58.8%
61,695 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 104,888 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 61,695 | 58.8% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 43,193 | 41.2% |
| Average farm size | 131 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Rowan County, North Carolina?
Rowan County, North Carolina has 801 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 131 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Rowan County?
Rowan County's total commodity sales are $96.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #45 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Rowan County receive?
Rowan County received $476K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.54/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Rowan County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Rowan County is $21.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Rowan County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Rowan (LIGHT · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-LED
Nottoway County, VA · MID
$476K federal receipts is higher by - than Rowan; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Mclean County, KY · LIGHT
$475K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Rowan; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Nelson County, KY · TRACE
$477K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Rowan; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Itasca County, MN · LIGHT
$475K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Rowan; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
DE Kalb County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
DE Kalb sits near Rowan on payments-per-acre ($4.50) while total receipts differ.
Abbeville County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Abbeville sits near Rowan on payments-per-acre ($4.48) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Rowan stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2209)
Rowan ranks #2209 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
Rowan County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2209 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.