Union County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Union County, North Carolina grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Union County, North Carolina (79% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 1,366,901 turkeys, and sold 38,568,287 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are soybeans (72,236 acres), wheat (49,835 acres) and corn (30,804 acres). Its farms sold $592 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 6th of 98 counties in North Carolina.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for turkeys (16th of 1,741 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $592 million140th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 882212,066 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 21% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4225 published, 15 withheld, 2 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Union County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorghum | 72,513 bushels | 1* | 265* | 13% | production |
| Wheat | 3.4 million bushels | 1 | 132 | 13% | production |
| Turkeys | 1.4 million turkeys | 4 | 16* | 9% | head on farms |
| Soybeans | 2.7 million bushels | 1 | 573* | 4% | production |
| Carrots | 2 acres | 5* | 225* | 4% | acres harvested |
| Chickens | 38.6 million broiler chickens | 9 | 66* | 4% | head sold |
| Pecans | 44 acres | 2* | 255* | 4% | bearing acres |
| Honey | 35,240 pounds | 4* | 381* | 3% | production |
| Corn | 3.4 million bushels | 10 | 863* | 3% | production |
| Sheep | 963 sheep | 11 | 956* | 3% | head on farms |
| Goats | 1,063 goats | 9* | 541* | 2% | head on farms |
| Cattle | 17,095 cattle | 13 | 1,389* | 2% | head on farms |
| Hay | 25,916 tons | 13 | 1,234* | 2% | production |
| Strawberries | 18 acres | 5* | 101* | 2% | bearing acres |
| Pumpkins | 21 acres | 17* | 485* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Show all 25 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 10 acres | 24* | 448* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green peas | 1 acre | 8* | 286* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Milk | 155 milk cows | 20* | 885* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Blackberries | 3 acres | 12* | 268* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Grapes | 12 acres | 28* | 414* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Chile peppers | 1 acre | 15* | 544* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 2 acres | 20* | 523* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 2 acres | 37* | 751* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cucumbers | 1 acre | 48* | 834* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 1 acre | 45* | 824* | under 1% | acres harvested |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, green beans, cabbage, collard greens, garlic, blueberries, raspberries, eggs and hogs.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): spinach and figs.
What livestock does Union 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 |
| Anson County | $491 million |
| Wilkes County | $459 million |
| Randolph County | $451 million |
| Bertie County | $417 million |
| Lenoir County | $389 million |
| Greene County | $375 million |
| Pitt County | $367 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.