Farm operations
1,171
Avg 124 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WV · FIPS 54077 1,171 farms Top quartile (#11/55) 33% cropland TRACE MIXED
Preston County, West Virginia - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Preston County. Ranked #11 of 55 counties in West Virginia.
145K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 33.2% 48K acres
- Other land
- 66.8% 97K 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.
1,171 farms · $19.4M sales
Preston County, West Virginia reports 1,171 farms and $19.4M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #2575 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #11 of 55 counties in West Virginia; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #11 of 55
- National payments rank #2575 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.9%
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 reported 1,171 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $19.4M in total commodity sales and receiving $175K in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp TRACE ($1.21/acre); land stamp MIXED. Net cash farm income came in at $960K. In-state sales rank #11 of 55 in West Virginia.
Of 145,006 acres agricultural land, cropland is 48,212 acres (33.2%) with the balance in pasture, range, woodland, or farmsteads, a MIXED footprint. Average farm size 124 acres. Federal intensity is TRACE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of West Virginia.
Land Use
$1.21 per acre of agricultural land · the median West Virginia county receives $1.84. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
145,006 acres
Cropland
48,212 acres
Avg Farm Size
124 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 33.2%
48,212 cropland acres · MIXED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 145,006 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 48,212 | 33.2% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 96,794 | 66.8% |
| Average farm size | 124 | acres / farm |
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).
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 (#2575)
Preston ranks #2575 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
Preston County, West Virginia stamps TRACE · MIXED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #2575 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- 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.
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.