Farm operations
882
Avg 240 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37179 882 farms Top quartile (#6/100) 72% cropland LIGHT CROP-LED
Union County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Union County. Ranked #6 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
212K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 72.3% 153K acres
- Other land
- 27.7% 59K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Union County received $4.78 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.
- $4.78
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 0.38×
- 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.
882 farms · $591.6M sales
Union County, North Carolina reports 882 farms and $591.6M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1825 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #6 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #6 of 100
- National payments rank #1825 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.2%
Commodity sales
$591.6M
6.7× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$1.0M
0.2% of sales -- Low federal dependence
Net farm income
$250.3M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Union County's net farm income sits at the 98th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Union County Farm Data Shows
Union County, North Carolina reported 882 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $591.6M in total commodity sales and receiving $1.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp LIGHT ($4.78/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $250.3M. In-state sales rank #6 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 212,066 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 153,274 acres (72.3%) - 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
$4.78 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
212,066 acres
Cropland
153,274 acres
Avg Farm Size
240 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 72.3%
153,274 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 212,066 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 153,274 | 72.3% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 58,792 | 27.7% |
| Average farm size | 240 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Union County, North Carolina?
Union County, North Carolina has 882 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 240 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Union County?
Union County's total commodity sales are $591.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #6 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Union County receive?
Union County received $1.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping LIGHT on NASS payments-per-acre ($4.78/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Union County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Union County is $250.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Union County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Union (LIGHT · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
LIGHT CROP-LED
Laurens County, GA · LIGHT
$1.0M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Union; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Harrison County, IN · LIGHT
$1.0M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Union; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Mobile County, AL · MID
$1.0M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Union; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Wells County, IN · LIGHT
$1.0M federal receipts is higher by $6K than Union; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Caldwell County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Caldwell sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($4.78) while total receipts differ.
Liberty County (LIGHT $/acre pole)
Liberty sits near Union on payments-per-acre ($4.77) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Union stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1825)
Union ranks #1825 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
Union County, North Carolina stamps LIGHT · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1825 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.