Farm operations
415
Avg 361 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census NC · FIPS 37191 415 farms Top quartile (#3/100) 77% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Wayne County, North Carolina - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Wayne County. Ranked #3 of 100 counties in North Carolina.
150K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 76.9% 115K acres
- Other land
- 23.1% 35K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Wayne County received $31.18 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.
- $31.18
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $12.60
- North Carolina county median per acre
- 2.48×
- 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.
415 farms · $798.3M sales
Wayne County, North Carolina reports 415 farms and $798.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #662 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #3 of 100 counties in North Carolina; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #3 of 100
- National payments rank #662 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.6%
Commodity sales
$798.3M
9.0× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$4.7M
0.6% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$253.8M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Wayne 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 Wayne County Farm Data Shows
Wayne County, North Carolina reported 415 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $798.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.7M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($31.18/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $253.8M. In-state sales rank #3 of 100 in North Carolina.
Of 149,752 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 115,097 acres (76.9%) - a CROP-HEAVY 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
$31.18 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
149,752 acres
Cropland
115,097 acres
Avg Farm Size
361 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 76.9%
115,097 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 149,752 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 115,097 | 76.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 34,655 | 23.1% |
| Average farm size | 361 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Wayne County, North Carolina?
Wayne County, North Carolina has 415 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 361 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Wayne County?
Wayne County's total commodity sales are $798.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #3 among 100 counties in North Carolina.
How much federal farm assistance does Wayne County receive?
Wayne County received $4.7M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($31.18/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Wayne County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Wayne County is $253.8M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Wayne County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Wayne (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Catahoula County, LA · HEAVY
$4.7M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Wayne; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Banner County, NE · MID
$4.7M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Wayne; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Lincoln County, AR · DENSE
$4.7M federal receipts is higher by $6K than Wayne; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Tuscola County, MI · HEAVY
$4.7M federal receipts is higher by $6K than Wayne; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-HEAVY.
Dickinson County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Dickinson sits near Wayne on payments-per-acre ($30.27) while total receipts differ.
Edgecombe County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Edgecombe sits near Wayne on payments-per-acre ($30.27) while total receipts differ.
North Carolina ERS state roll-up
Wayne stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside North Carolina's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#662)
Wayne ranks #662 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
Wayne County, North Carolina stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #662 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.