Farm Census

York County, South Carolina

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

983 farms105,092 acres in farms$127 million in farm sales

York County's number of turkeys grew between 2017 and 2022, the fifth-largest increase among the 86 leading turkey counties of 2017 with figures in both years.

Its largest product group with a published figure, nursery and greenhouse crops, makes up 47.2% of farm sales, against 6.5% across South Carolina.

Nursery and greenhouse: 47.2%Nursery and greenhouse47.2%Poultry and eggs: 31.0%Poultry and eggs31.0%Withheld groups: 11.9%Withheld groups11.9%Vegetables and melons: 2.8%2.8%Fruit and nuts: 2.7%2.7%Hay and other crops: 1.7%1.7%Horses and mules: 1.1%1.1%Cotton: 1.1%1.1%Other animals: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.1%Nursery and greenhouse: 47.2%Nursery and greenhouse47.2%Poultry and eggs: 31.0%Poultry and eggs31.0%Withheld groups: 11.9%Withheld groups11.9%Vegetables and melons: 2.8%2.8%Fruit and nuts: 2.7%2.7%Hay and other crops: 1.7%1.7%Horses and mules: 1.1%Cotton: 1.1%Other animals: 0.5%Sheep and goats: 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: grains and oilseeds, Christmas trees, cattle and calves, milk and hogs and pigs.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$60.0 million1st of 34
Poultry and eggs$39.4 million18th of 41
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$3.5 million11th of 34
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$3.4 million9th of 27
Hay and other crops$2.1 million24th of 43
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$1.5 million4th of 37
Cotton and cottonseed$1.4 million23rd of 26
Other animals and animal products$572,0001st of 28
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$115,0009th of 31

What the fields held

York County harvested 21,275 acres of cropland in 2022, 25th of 46 counties in South Carolina. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 76% of that, cotton 8%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage16,123under 0.1%
Cotton1,776under 0.1%
Wheat671under 0.1%
Vegetables341under 0.1%
of which potatoes3under 0.1%
Corn for grain310under 0.1%
Orchard land281under 0.1%
of which grapes7under 0.1%
of which apples8under 0.1%
of which pecans31under 0.1%
Soybeans69under 0.1%
Berries65under 0.1%
Grain sorghum6under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: oats and sunflower.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms24.1%

York County ranks 22nd of 46 counties in South Carolina on this measure.

  • 29,107 acres of cropland, 28% of farmland
  • 40,204 acres of pastureland, 38% of farmland
  • 40,484 acres of woodland, 39% of farmland
  • 1,359 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in York County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 47 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 107 acres, 40th-largest of 46 in South Carolina. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 42.2% of farms. Fewer than 1% of farms have 1,000 acres or more.

1–910%10–4942%50–17934%180–49911%500–9992%1,000–1,9990%2,000+0%
York County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Turkeys448,0500.46%
Horses and ponies1,7080.07%
Goats1,187under 0.1%
Cattle and calves14,245under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs757under 0.1%
Laying hens4,880under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022336under 0.1%

Withheld: beef cows, milk cows and hogs and pigs.

Who farms here

Decisions on York County's 983 farms are made by 1,628 producers. Their average age is 60.1, 1.2 years above the South Carolina average. Women are 35.9% of them.

Under 356%35–4411%45–5413%55–6427%65–7426%75+16%
York County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,000−1.7%
Land in farms, acres120,164−12.5%
Average farm size, acres120−10.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$101 million+26.4%
Turkeys, head233,665+91.7%
Horses and ponies, head1,714−0.4%
Goats, head811+46.4%
Hay and haylage, acres18,291−11.9%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

York County accounts for 2.9% of farm sales in South Carolina and 4.3% of the farms in South Carolina. Rank South Carolina counties for turkeys.

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