Farm Census

Union County, North Carolina

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

882 farms212,066 acres in farms$592 million in farm sales

No other county in North Carolina with a published figure has more wheat than Union County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, poultry and eggs, makes up 76.8% of farm sales, against 49.4% across North Carolina.

Poultry and eggs: 76.8%Poultry and eggs76.8%Grains and oilseeds: 15.5%Grains and oilseeds15.5%Nursery and greenhouse: 4.1%4.1%Cotton: 1.1%1.1%Withheld groups: 0.9%0.9%Cattle and calves: 0.9%0.9%Hay and other crops: 0.2%Fruit and nuts: 0.2%Milk: 0.2%Vegetables and melons: 0.1%Horses and mules: 0.1%Other animals: 0.1%Poultry and eggs: 76.8%Poultry and eggs76.8%Grains and oilseeds: 15.5%Grains and oilseeds15.5%Nursery and greenhouse: 4.1%4.1%Cotton: 1.1%1.1%Withheld groups: 0.9%Cattle and calves: 0.9%Hay and other crops: 0.2%Fruit and nuts: 0.2%Milk: 0.2%Vegetables and melons: 0.1%Horses and mules: 0.1%Other animals: 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: hogs and pigs, sheep and goat products and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Poultry and eggs$454 million3rd of 78
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$91.6 million1st of 91
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$24.1 million3rd of 73
Cotton and cottonseed$6.7 million22nd of 33
Cattle and calves$5.1 million15th of 83
Hay and other crops$1.4 million43rd of 85
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$960,00032nd of 76
Milk from cows$888,00016th of 18
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$482,00061st of 78
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$339,00011th of 53
Other animals and animal products$300,0006th of 61

What the fields held

Union County harvested 141,311 acres of cropland in 2022, fourth of 97 counties in North Carolina. Soybeans covered acreage equal to 51% of that, wheat 35%.

CropAcresShare of US
Soybeans72,2360.09%
Wheat49,8350.13%
Corn for grain30,804under 0.1%
Hay and haylage11,980under 0.1%
Cotton7,0440.09%
Grain sorghum1,457under 0.1%
Orchard land106under 0.1%
of which grapes14under 0.1%
Vegetables75under 0.1%
Berries32under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: corn for silage, oats, potatoes and pecans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms52.4%

Union County ranks sixth of 97 counties in North Carolina on this measure.

  • 153,274 acres of cropland, 72% of farmland
  • 29,266 acres of pastureland, 14% of farmland
  • 26,158 acres of woodland, 12% of farmland
  • 642 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Union County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 35 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 240 acres, 29th-largest of 88 in North Carolina. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 47.4% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 4.1% of the total.

1–913%10–4947%50–17926%180–4998%500–9993%1,000–1,9991%2,000+3%
Union County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Turkeys1,366,9011.4%
Broilers sold in 202238,568,2870.42%
Horses and ponies1,116under 0.1%
Goats1,063under 0.1%
Beef cows10,308under 0.1%
Cattle and calves17,095under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs963under 0.1%
Milk cows155under 0.1%

Withheld: hogs and pigs and laying hens.

Who farms here

Decisions on Union County's 882 farms are made by 1,448 producers. Their average age is 59.6, 1.5 years above the North Carolina average. Women are 36.8% of them.

Under 357%35–4410%45–5415%55–6429%65–7422%75+17%
Union County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms957−7.8%
Land in farms, acres186,626+13.6%
Average farm size, acres195+23.1%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$482 million+22.7%
Turkeys, head2,750,994−50.3%
Broilers sold, head45,485,421−15.2%
Wheat, acres51,669−3.5%
Cotton, acres2,692+100%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Union County accounts for 3.2% of farm sales in North Carolina and 2.1% of the farms in North Carolina. Rank North Carolina counties for turkeys.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.