Gaston County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Gaston County, North Carolina grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Gaston County, North Carolina (69% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 7,309 cattle, and sold 1,703,398 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (6,965 acres), soybeans (4,579 acres) and corn (859 acres). Its farms sold $26.9 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 78th of 98 counties in North Carolina.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $26.9 million2332nd of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 41236,859 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 31% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4229 published, 10 withheld, 3 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Gaston County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Gaston County rank?
Each item's rank among counties in North Carolina and in the US, by the 2022 Census of Agriculture measure shown. An asterisk means the rank is among counties with published figures; a county whose figure is withheld could rank higher.
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackberries | 78 acres | 2* | 16* | 10% | bearing acres |
| Plums | 1 acre | 2* | 170* | 8% | bearing acres |
| Cauliflower | 1 acre | 2* | 191* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 60 acres | 7* | 235* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Peaches | 12 acres | 8* | 224* | 1% | bearing acres |
| Cattle | 7,309 cattle | 34 | 2,058* | 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 10,521 tons | 43 | 2,090* | under 1% | production |
| Sheep | 300 sheep | 41* | 1,829* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Goats | 257 goats | 52* | 1,930* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Honey | 5,610 pounds | 43* | 1,112* | under 1% | production |
| Grapes | 20 acres | 25* | 341* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Lettuce | 1 acre | 16* | 543* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 192,118 bushels | 60* | 1,334* | under 1% | production |
| Kale | 1 acre | 10* | 304* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cantaloupe | 2 acres | 19* | 418* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 29 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 4 acres | 38* | 828* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 1.7 million broiler chickens | 49* | 443* | under 1% | head sold |
| Wheat | 29,181 bushels | 69* | 1,597* | under 1% | production |
| Cabbage | 2 acres | 14* | 306* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 1 acre | 7* | 334* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 1 acre | 22* | 211* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 73,900 bushels | 78* | 1,944* | under 1% | production |
| Squash | 2 acres | 37* | 751* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 4 acres | 38* | 518* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Blueberries | 4 acres | 32* | 457* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Green beans | 1 acre | 41* | 844* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 2 acres | 40* | 615* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 1,601 laying hens | 43* | 1,324* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hogs | 88 hogs | 63* | 1,736* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: sorghum, barley, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, asparagus, apples, strawberries, raspberries and milk.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): sweet corn, bell peppers and chile peppers.
What livestock does Gaston County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 1,703,398 | 49* | head sold |
| Cattle | 7,309 | 34 | head on farms |
| Laying hens | 1,601 | 43* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 300 | 41* | head on farms |
| Goats | 257 | 52* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 88 | 63* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in North Carolina
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Sampson County | $2.2 billion |
| Duplin County | $2 billion |
| Wayne County | $798 million |
| Robeson County | $638 million |
| Bladen County | $616 million |
| Union County | $592 million |
| Anson County | $491 million |
| Wilkes County | $459 million |
| Randolph County | $451 million |
| Bertie County | $417 million |
| Lenoir County | $389 million |
| Greene County | $375 million |
What does North Carolina grow? State overview and county map →
About this data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture, the only NASS source that covers every county. The Census is taken every five years; the next is for 2027. Values NASS withholds to avoid disclosing individual farms are shown as withheld, never as zero. Data processed 2026-11-06. Methodology.