Wayne County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Wayne County, North Carolina grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Wayne County, North Carolina (85% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 4,034,035 turkeys, and sold 8,392,150 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are soybeans (54,037 acres), corn (19,629 acres) and wheat (13,465 acres). Its farms sold $798 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 3rd of 98 counties in North Carolina.
Among US counties with published figures, it ranks near the top for turkeys (1st of 1,741 counties) and sweet potatoes (10th of 355 counties).
- Farm sales, 2022
- $798 million76th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 415149,752 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 15% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4222 published, 20 withheld
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Wayne County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys | 4 million turkeys | 1 | 1* | 26% | head on farms |
| Watermelon | 942 acres | 2* | 32* | 12% | acres harvested |
| Sweet potatoes | 4,699 acres | 7* | 10* | 5% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 417,151 hogs | 4 | 26* | 5% | head on farms |
| Oats | 32,850 bushels | 5* | 365* | 5% | production |
| Peanuts | 22 million pounds | 10 | 84* | 4% | production |
| Soybeans | 2.1 million bushels | 7 | 674* | 3% | production |
| Pecans | 38 acres | 7* | 267* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Wheat | 785,428 bushels | 5 | 429 | 3% | production |
| Sorghum | 11,255 bushels | 10* | 452* | 2% | production |
| Cucumbers | 130 acres | 11* | 49* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Corn | 1.7 million bushels | 21 | 1,106* | 2% | production |
| Hay | 16,139 tons | 31 | 1,697* | 1% | production |
| Cattle | 7,148 cattle | 36 | 2,079* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Sheep | 358 sheep | 37* | 1,718* | under 1% | head on farms |
Show all 22 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickens | 8.4 million broiler chickens | 28 | 263* | under 1% | head sold |
| Honey | 5,600 pounds | 44* | 1,113* | under 1% | production |
| Blueberries | 24 acres | 8* | 177* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Sweet corn | 9 acres | 40* | 747* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Pumpkins | 7 acres | 29* | 749* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 3 acres | 46* | 960* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Grapes | 2 acres | 39* | 651* | under 1% | bearing acres |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: potatoes, lettuce, onions, carrots, broccoli, green beans, green peas, squash, bell peppers, cabbage, spinach, kale, collard greens, apples, peaches, pears, figs, eggs, milk and goats.
What livestock does Wayne County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 8,392,150 | 28 | head sold |
| Turkeys | 4,034,035 | 1 | head on farms |
| Hogs | 417,151 | 4 | head on farms |
| Cattle | 7,148 | 36 | head on farms |
| Sheep | 358 | 37* | head on farms |
Other farm counties in North Carolina
| County | Farm sales |
|---|---|
| Sampson County | $2.2 billion |
| Duplin County | $2 billion |
| 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 |
| 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.