Wilkes County, North Carolina · 2022 Census of Agriculture
What does Wilkes County, North Carolina grow?
Livestock brings in most of the farm sales in Wilkes County, North Carolina (96% in 2022). At the end of 2022 its farms had 486,561 laying hens, and sold 54,632,667 broiler chickens during the year. Of the crops tracked here, its biggest by acreage are hay (17,864 acres), corn (4,736 acres) and soybeans (1,161 acres). Its farms sold $459 million of crops and livestock in 2022, 8th of 98 counties in North Carolina.
- Farm sales, 2022
- $459 million239th of 3,050 US counties
- Farms
- 871114,778 acres of farmland
- Crops vs. livestock
- 4% cropsshare of farm sales
- Items reported
- 4730 published, 14 withheld, 3 under half a unit
County map
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.
What does Wilkes County grow the most of?
Crops ranked by acres harvested (bearing acres for orchards), 2022 Census of Agriculture.
How does Wilkes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickens | 54.6 million broiler chickens | 3 | 28* | 6% | head sold |
| Cattle | 34,494 cattle | 3 | 776* | 5% | head on farms |
| Hay | 45,552 tons | 2 | 683* | 4% | production |
| Eggs | 486,561 laying hens | 6* | 76* | 3% | head on farms |
| Grapes | 135 acres | 4* | 116* | 3% | bearing acres |
| Sheep | 875 sheep | 14 | 1,045* | 2% | head on farms |
| Goats | 959 goats | 12* | 628* | 2% | head on farms |
| Carrots | 1 acre | 9* | 340* | 2% | acres harvested |
| Peaches | 13 acres | 7* | 212* | 1% | bearing acres |
| Sorghum | 5,385 bushels | 14* | 487* | under 1% | production |
| Pumpkins | 38 acres | 10* | 336* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Honey | 8,338 pounds | 33* | 896* | under 1% | production |
| Corn | 685,660 bushels | 42* | 1,392* | under 1% | production |
| Apples | 33 acres | 7* | 331* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Strawberries | 4 acres | 16* | 239* | under 1% | bearing acres |
Show all 30 items
| Item | Amount | State rank | US rank | Share of NC | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk | 131 milk cows | 21* | 905* | under 1% | head on farms |
| Chile peppers | 1 acre | 15* | 544* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Tomatoes | 3 acres | 46* | 960* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Blueberries | 10 acres | 18* | 300* | under 1% | bearing acres |
| Broccoli | 1 acre | 7* | 334* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Soybeans | 58,238 bushels | 73* | 1,590* | under 1% | production |
| Cucumbers | 6 acres | 28* | 304* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Collard greens | 1 acre | 22* | 211* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Squash | 2 acres | 37* | 751* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Bell peppers | 1 acre | 28* | 774* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Cabbage | 1 acre | 21* | 416* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Green beans | 1 acre | 41* | 844* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Potatoes | 2 acres | 34* | 718* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Watermelon | 1 acre | 45* | 824* | under 1% | acres harvested |
| Hogs | 170 hogs | 50* | 1,354* | under 1% | head on farms |
Also reported here, but withheld by NASS to protect individual farms: wheat, barley, hops, sweet potatoes, lettuce, onions, Brussels sprouts, kale, garlic, asparagus, cantaloupe, honeydew, blackberries and turkeys.
Reported at less than half a unit (for example, under half an acre): cauliflower, sweet corn and spinach.
What livestock does Wilkes County raise?
| Animal | Head | State rank | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broiler chickens | 54,632,667 | 3 | head sold |
| Laying hens | 486,561 | 6* | head on farms |
| Cattle | 34,494 | 3 | head on farms |
| Goats | 959 | 12* | head on farms |
| Sheep | 875 | 14 | head on farms |
| Hogs | 170 | 50* | head on farms |
| Milk cows | 131 | 21* | 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 |
| 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.