Farm Census

Where tobacco is grown: the leading US counties

2022 Census of Agriculture · Acres harvested in 2022. Counties with a published figure: 175

US farms harvested 207,494 acres of tobacco in 2022, and Wilson County, North Carolina, had more than any other county with a published figure.

The ten leading counties hold 33.3% of the national total. North Carolina is the leading state, with 2.6 times the figure of Kentucky.

The national figure is down 37.4% on the 2017 census.

Alaska: none publishedAKMaine: none publishedMEWisconsin: 413 acresWIVermont: none publishedVTNew Hampshire: none publishedNHWashington: none publishedWAIdaho: none publishedIDMontana: none publishedMTNorth Dakota: none publishedNDMinnesota: none publishedMNIllinois: 139 acresILMichigan: none publishedMINew York: none publishedNYMassachusetts: none publishedMAOregon: none publishedORNevada: none publishedNVWyoming: none publishedWYSouth Dakota: none publishedSDIowa: none publishedIAIndiana: 451 acresINOhio: 619 acresOHPennsylvania: 2,780 acresPANew Jersey: none publishedNJConnecticut: 3,056 acresCTRhode Island: none publishedRICalifornia: none publishedCAUtah: none publishedUTColorado: none publishedCONebraska: none publishedNEMissouri: 85 acresMOKentucky: 44,215 acresKYWest Virginia: none publishedWVVirginia: 12,634 acresVAMaryland: 312 acresMDDelaware: none publishedDEArizona: none publishedAZNew Mexico: none publishedNMKansas: none publishedKSArkansas: none publishedARTennessee: 12,377 acresTNNorth Carolina: 116,224 acresNCSouth Carolina: 5,732 acresSCOklahoma: none publishedOKLouisiana: none publishedLAMississippi: none publishedMSAlabama: none publishedALGeorgia: 6,070 acresGAHawaii: none publishedHITexas: none publishedTXFlorida: 1,605 acresFL
none publishedunder 1%1–3%3–7%7–15%15% or moreEach square is a state, shaded by its share of the US total. Select a state for its county table.

The 25 leading counties

Ranked among the 175 counties with a published figure. Another 92 counties grow or keep some but have their figure withheld to protect individual farms, so they are not ranked.

#CountyStateAcresShare of US
1Wilson CountyNorth Carolina10,8105.2%
2Sampson CountyNorth Carolina8,0433.9%
3Johnston CountyNorth Carolina8,0383.9%
4Nash CountyNorth Carolina7,9303.8%
5Harnett CountyNorth Carolina7,3683.6%
6Christian CountyKentucky6,9243.3%
7Pitt CountyNorth Carolina5,1332.5%
8Edgecombe CountyNorth Carolina5,0682.4%
9Person CountyNorth Carolina4,8442.3%
10Barren CountyKentucky4,8412.3%
11Wayne CountyNorth Carolina4,8312.3%
12Lenoir CountyNorth Carolina4,1262.0%
13Greene CountyNorth Carolina4,0502.0%
14Macon CountyTennessee3,9321.9%
15Pittsylvania CountyVirginia3,2191.6%
16Robertson CountyTennessee3,1501.5%
17Horry CountySouth Carolina3,1441.5%
18Wake CountyNorth Carolina2,9471.4%
19Bertie CountyNorth Carolina2,7131.3%
20Martin CountyNorth Carolina2,7121.3%
21Hartford CountyConnecticut2,6901.3%
22Yadkin CountyNorth Carolina2,6111.3%
23Halifax CountyNorth Carolina2,5871.2%
24Calloway CountyKentucky2,2301.1%
25Franklin CountyNorth Carolina2,2031.1%

Rank every county for tobacco, or filter by state

Leading states

StateAcresShare of USSince 2017
North Carolina116,22456.0%−30.7%
Kentucky44,21521.3%−45.1%
Virginia12,6346.1%−45.2%
Tennessee12,3776.0%−40.4%
Georgia6,0702.9%−53.0%
South Carolina5,7322.8%−52.9%
Connecticut3,0561.5%+38.7%
Pennsylvania2,7801.3%−62.8%
Florida1,6050.8%+41.4%
Ohio6190.3%−40.8%
Indiana4510.2%−47.6%
Wisconsin4130.2%−13.6%
Maryland3120.2%−1.0%
Illinois1390.1%
Missouri85under 0.1%−33.1%

Source: USDA NASS, 2022 and 2017 Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.