McDowell County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does McDowell County, North Carolina grow?
Of the crops tracked here, McDowell County's biggest by acreage is hay (1,732 acres). Its farms sold $17.4 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 83rd of 98 counties in North Carolina.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $17.4 million2533rd of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 29817,041 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 56% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 3921 published, 17 withheld, 1 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does McDowell County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does McDowell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeydew | 1 acre | 1* | 69* | 3% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 22,300 pounds | 6* | 493* | 2% | production |
| Tomatoes | 37 acres | 10* | 139* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 16 acres | 5* | 129* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Goats | 321 goats | 45* | 1,731* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sweet corn | 25 acres | 26* | 506* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 2 acres | 9* | 349* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 12 acres | 12* | 219* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 1,590 cattle | 73 | 2,742* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 2,711 tons | 73 | 2,731* | under 1% | production |
| Sheep | 59 sheep | 74* | 2,488* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Squash | 4 acres | 29* | 559* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 8 acres | 25* | 240* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Strawberries | 1 acre | 23* | 333* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Chickens | 768,000 broiler chickens | 53* | 470* | under 1% | head sold |
Show all 21 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes | 3 acres | 37* | 615* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Pumpkins | 1 acre | 40* | 1,027* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 7 milk cows | 41* | 1,377* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Potatoes | 1 acre | 40* | 889* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 192 hogs | 48* | 1,288* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Corn | 1,845 bushels | 90* | 2,235* | under 1% | production |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: sweet potatoes, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, spinach, kale, collard greens, garlic, asparagus, watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, pecans and eggs.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): figs.
What livestock does McDowell County raise?
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.