Farm operations
614
Avg 104 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37161 614 farms Upper-middle (#46/100) 33% cropland TRACE MIXED
Rutherford County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Rutherford County. Ranked #46 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
64K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 33.2% 21K acres
- Other land
- 66.8% 42K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Rutherford County received $1.12 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.1× the North Carolina county median of $12.60.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $1.12
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.09×
- 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.
614 farms · $95.9M sales
Rutherford County, North Carolina reports 614 farms and $95.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2757 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #46 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #46 of 100
- National payments rank #2757 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.1%
Commodity sales
$95.9M
1.1× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$71K
0.1% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$34.3M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Rutherford County's net farm income sits at the 60th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Rutherford County Farm Data Shows
Rutherford County, North Carolina reported 614 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $95.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $71K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($1.12/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $34.3M. In-state sales rank #46 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 63,632 acres agricultural land, cropland is 21,145 acres (33.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 104 acres. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of North Carolina.
Land Use
$1.12 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
63,632 acres
Cropland
21,145 acres
Avg Farm Size
104 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 33.2%
21,145 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 63,632 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 21,145 | 33.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 42,487 | 66.8% |
| Average farm size | 104 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Rutherford County, North Carolina?
Rutherford County, North Carolina has 614 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 104 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Rutherford County?
Rutherford County's total commodity sales are $95.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #46 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Rutherford County receive?
Rutherford County received $71K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($1.12/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Rutherford County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Rutherford County is $34.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Rutherford County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Rutherford (TRACE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE MIXED
Troup County, GA · TRACE
$71K federal receipts is higher by - than Rutherford; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Jackson County, LA · TRACE
$71K federal receipts is higher by - than Rutherford; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Emmet County, MI · TRACE
$71K federal receipts is higher by - than Rutherford; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Gulf County, FL · UNPUB
$70K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Rutherford; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Otsego County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Otsego sits near Rutherford on payments-per-acre ($1.11) while total receipts differ.
Whitley County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Whitley sits near Rutherford on payments-per-acre ($1.13) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Rutherford stamps TRACE · MIXED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#2757)
Rutherford ranks #2757 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the TRACE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Rutherford County, North Carolina stamps TRACE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2757 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.