Rutherford County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Rutherford County, North Carolina grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Rutherford County, North Carolina (95% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 94,280 laying hens, and sold 11,991,904 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (11,890 acres) and corn (642 acres). Its farms sold $95.9 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 46th of 98 counties in North Carolina.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $95.9 million1438th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 61463,632 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 5% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 3420 published, 11 withheld, 3 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Rutherford County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Rutherford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hay | 25,463 tons | 15 | 1,253* | 2% | production |
| Cattle | 11,553 cattle | 19 | 1,729* | 2% | head on farms |
| Sheep | 453 sheep | 30* | 1,566* | 1% | head on farms |
| Chickens | 12 million broiler chickens | 24 | 218* | 1% | head sold |
| Goats | 504 goats | 34* | 1,257* | 1% | head on farms |
| Honey | 12,077 pounds | 19* | 719* | 1% | production |
| Eggs | 94,280 laying hens | 17* | 264* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Tomatoes | 6 acres | 29* | 635* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Chile peppers | 1 acre | 15* | 544* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Grapes | 7 acres | 31* | 499* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Sweet corn | 5 acres | 46* | 897* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 89,395 bushels | 75* | 1,913* | under 1% | production |
| Bell peppers | 1 acre | 28* | 774* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 21 milk cows | 29* | 1,158* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Green beans | 1 acre | 41* | 844* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 20 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squash | 1 acre | 45* | 916* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 1 acre | 48* | 834* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 3,000 bushels | 79* | 1,843* | under 1% | production |
| Hogs | 141 hogs | 53* | 1,476* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 53 turkeys | 35* | 976* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: wheat, hops, potatoes, pumpkins, watermelon, apples, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pears and plums.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): onions, carrots and garlic.
What livestock does Rutherford County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 11,991,904 | 24 | head sold |
| Laying hens | 94,280 | 17* | head on farms |
| Cattle | 11,553 | 19 | head on farms |
| Goats | 504 | 34* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 453 | 30* | head on farms |
| Hogs | 141 | 53* | head on farms |
| Turkeys | 53 | 35* | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 21 | 29* | 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.