Farm operations
1,171
Avg 124 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WV · FIPS 54077 Top quartile by state sales TRACE MIXED
Preston County, West Virginia - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Preston County. Ranked #11 of 55 counties in West Virginia.
145,006 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 33.2% 48,212 acres
- Other land
- 66.8% 96,794 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Preston County received $1.21 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.7× the West Virginia county median of $1.84.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $1.21
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $1.84
- West Virginia county median per acre
- 0.66×
- West Virginia 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Preston County, West Virginia is a MIXED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp TRACE; commodity sales sit above state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$19.4M
4.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$175K
0.9% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$960K
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
F
Farm economy grade: F -- Preston County's net farm income sits at the 18th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Preston County Farm Data Shows
Preston County, West Virginia reads as a MIXED county with TRACE federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 25% to 50% of agricultural land with the balance in pasture, range, woodland or farmsteads, so row-crop and livestock-side programs are both in play; payments per agricultural acre fall in the lowest national quintile, under $3.41 an acre, so program receipts are a marginal line beside market revenue.
The state comparisons on this page use the 55 of 55 West Virginia counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 50 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 22 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of West Virginia.
Read with Preston County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Preston (TRACE · MIXED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
TRACE MIXED
Newberry County, SC · TRACE
$175K federal receipts is higher by - than Preston; land stamp MIXED vs MIXED.
Aleutian Islands County, AK · TRACE
$176K federal receipts is higher by $1K than Preston; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Cumberland County, KY · TRACE
$174K federal receipts is lower by $1K than Preston; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Gilmer County, GA · LIGHT
$177K federal receipts is higher by $2K than Preston; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs MIXED.
Madison County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Madison sits near Preston on payments-per-acre ($1.22) while total receipts differ.
Albemarle County (TRACE $/acre pole)
Albemarle sits near Preston on payments-per-acre ($1.24) while total receipts differ.
West Virginia ERS state roll-up
Preston stamps TRACE · MIXED inside West Virginia's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Preston under the TRACE intensity band.
What to do with this
Where to go after Preston County, West Virginia:
- See how West Virginia compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. West Virginia 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Preston County, West Virginia?
Preston County, West Virginia has 1,171 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 124 acres; land stamp MIXED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Preston County?
Preston County's total commodity sales are $19.4M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #11 among 55 counties in West Virginia.
How much federal farm assistance does Preston County receive?
Preston County received $175K in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping TRACE on NASS payments-per-acre ($1.21/acre) with a MIXED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Preston County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Preston County is $960K (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
West Virginia
55 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp TRACE · land stamp MIXED (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
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.