Census of Agriculture Information

The Census of Agriculture

The Census of Agriculture provides the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every state and county in the nation. Through the Census of Agriculture, North Carolina farmers can tell their story of the importance of agriculture that will shape the future.

The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of farms and ranches and the people who contribute to agriculture. Even small agricultural activities count, as long as $1,000 or more of commodities were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at agricultural land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures. The Census of Agriculture is the voice, future, and opportunity for North Carolina farmers.

Individual information by farmers is kept private. Individual responses to the Census of Agriculture are protected by law and ensures the use of the information is for statistical purposes only, and that only publish aggregated data so that no individual or farm can be identified.

The 2022 Census of Agriculture was released on February 13, 2024. In 2022, North Carolina had 42,814 farms, a decrease of almost 8 percent from 2017, and 8.1 million acres of farmland, a decrease of almost 4 percent from 2017. In 2022, North Carolina ranked 8th in the U.S. in the value of agricultural products sold, with $18.7 billion.

For more information, refer to:  USDA NASS Census of Agriculture Website