Orange County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Orange County, North Carolina grow?
Of the crops tracked here, Orange County's biggest by acreage are hay (7,701 acres), soybeans (3,266 acres) and corn (2,752 acres). Its farms sold $32.4 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 72nd of 98 counties in North Carolina.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $32.4 million2220th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 68753,068 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 54% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 5445 published, 8 withheld, 1 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Orange County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels sprouts | 2 acres | 1* | 56* | 29% | acres harvested |
| Tart cherries | 2 acres | 1* | 52* | 20% | bearing acres |
| Spinach | 3 acres | 1* | 95* | 14% | acres harvested |
| Garlic | 6 acres | 1* | 105* | 9% | acres harvested |
| Carrots | 4 acres | 1* | 140* | 8% | acres harvested |
| Figs | 2 acres | 3* | 47* | 6% | bearing acres |
| Lettuce | 10 acres | 2* | 108* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Cauliflower | 1 acre | 2* | 191* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 42,564 pounds | 3* | 331* | 4% | production |
| Sheep | 1,217 sheep | 7 | 748* | 3% | head on farms |
| Pears | 2 acres | 5* | 285* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Asparagus | 3 acres | 2* | 163* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Eggs | 200,291 laying hens | 14* | 156* | 1% | head on farms |
| Goats | 507 goats | 33* | 1,250* | 1% | head on farms |
| Hay | 13,034 tons | 38 | 1,909* | 1% | production |
Show all 45 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onions | 3 acres | 2* | 228* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cattle | 6,271 cattle | 41 | 2,167* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Kale | 4 acres | 3* | 123* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 18 acres | 18* | 259* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 4 acres | 3* | 207* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Strawberries | 6 acres | 13* | 204* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Green peas | 1 acre | 8* | 286* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Broccoli | 5 acres | 2* | 128* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 6 acres | 14* | 75* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cantaloupe | 4 acres | 12* | 307* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Blueberries | 34 acres | 4* | 129* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Corn | 398,229 bushels | 54* | 1,574* | under 1% | production |
| Grapes | 15 acres | 27* | 393* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Bell peppers | 6 acres | 12* | 254* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 9 acres | 22* | 367* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 8 acres | 26* | 716* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 110,975 bushels | 69* | 1,454* | under 1% | production |
| Green beans | 5 acres | 21* | 382* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Apples | 8 acres | 26* | 572* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Wheat | 31,542 bushels | 68* | 1,586* | under 1% | production |
| Milk | 45 milk cows | 24* | 1,032* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Cucumbers | 8 acres | 25* | 240* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 2 acres | 14* | 306* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 7 acres | 32* | 410* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 7 acres | 15* | 394* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sweet corn | 1 acre | 55* | 1,180* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Sweet potatoes | 12 acres | 20* | 70* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 439 hogs | 40* | 931* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 205 turkeys | 16* | 404* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 6,246 broiler chickens | 57* | 600* | under 1% | head sold |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: barley, oats, honeydew, blackberries, peaches, apricots, pecans and hazelnuts.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): celery.
What livestock does Orange County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laying hens | 200,291 | 14* | head on farms |
| Cattle | 6,271 | 41 | head on farms |
| Broiler chickens | 6,246 | 57* | head sold |
| Sheep | 1,217 | 7 | head on farms |
| Goats | 507 | 33* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 439 | 40* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 205 | 16* | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 45 | 24* | 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.