Farm Census

Preston County, West Virginia

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,171 farms145,006 acres in farms$19.4 million in farm sales

No other county in West Virginia with a published figure has more farms or hay and haylage than Preston County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, cattle and calves, makes up 38.9% of farm sales, against 18.9% across West Virginia.

Cattle and calves: 38.9%Cattle and calves38.9%Hay and other crops: 22.9%Hay and other crops22.9%Grains and oilseeds: 16.0%Grains and oilseeds16.0%Withheld groups: 6.9%6.9%Vegetables and melons: 5.8%5.8%Horses and mules: 3.0%3.0%Sheep and goats: 2.1%2.1%Fruit and nuts: 2.0%2.0%Poultry and eggs: 1.5%1.5%Other animals: 0.8%Cattle and calves: 38.9%Cattle and calves38.9%Hay and other crops: 22.9%22.9%Grains and oilseeds: 16.0%16.0%Withheld groups: 6.9%6.9%Vegetables and melons: 5.8%5.8%Horses and mules: 3.0%3.0%Sheep and goats: 2.1%2.1%Fruit and nuts: 2.0%2.0%Poultry and eggs: 1.5%1.5%Other animals: 0.8%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: nursery and greenhouse crops, Christmas trees, milk and hogs and pigs.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Cattle and calves$7.5 million6th of 50
Hay and other crops$4.4 million1st of 49
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$3.1 million7th of 33
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$1.1 million3rd of 40
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$583,0002nd of 32
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$412,0003rd of 44
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$396,00016th of 41
Poultry and eggs$286,0008th of 44
Other animals and animal products$158,0004th of 40

What the fields held

Preston County harvested 37,750 acres of cropland in 2022, first of 52 counties in West Virginia. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 87% of that, corn for grain 7%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage32,7580.06%
Corn for grain2,560under 0.1%
Soybeans1,465under 0.1%
Corn for silage285under 0.1%
Vegetables158under 0.1%
of which potatoes52under 0.1%
Wheat151under 0.1%
Oats147under 0.1%
Orchard land81under 0.1%
of which apples62under 0.1%
Berries24under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: almonds, pecans and grapes.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms34.9%

Preston County ranks 18th of 52 counties in West Virginia on this measure.

  • 48,212 acres of cropland, 33% of farmland
  • 44,692 acres of pastureland, 31% of farmland
  • 58,059 acres of woodland, 40% of farmland
  • 120 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

Farms in Preston County run larger than the national pattern: the median farm has 74 acres against 72 for the US. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 124 acres, 31st-largest of 47 in West Virginia. The most common size class is 50–179 acres, with 44.5% of farms. Fewer than 1% of farms have 1,000 acres or more.

1–99%10–4927%50–17944%180–49917%500–9992%1,000–1,9991%2,000+0%
Preston County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Sheep and lambs2,007under 0.1%
Goats892under 0.1%
Beef cows8,622under 0.1%
Horses and ponies659under 0.1%
Cattle and calves16,327under 0.1%
Milk cows179under 0.1%
Laying hens6,070under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs268under 0.1%
Turkeys136under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20225,152under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Preston County's 1,171 farms are made by 2,029 producers. Their average age is 58.8, the same as the West Virginia average. Women are 35.8% of them.

Under 359%35–4412%45–5413%55–6424%65–7427%75+14%
Preston County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,142+2.5%
Land in farms, acres142,941+1.4%
Average farm size, acres125−0.8%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$16.2 million+19.9%
Hay and haylage, acres34,478−5.0%
Sheep and lambs, head1,537+30.6%
Goats, head1,180−24.4%
Beef cows, head10,194−15.4%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Preston County accounts for 2.0% of farm sales in West Virginia and 5.1% of the farms in West Virginia. Rank West Virginia counties for hay and haylage.

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