FARMGRANT COUNTY PROFILE · PUBLIC USDA DATA

Jackson County, North Carolina

$349,787 in USDA farm subsidies to county recipients (2025)

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USDA Farm Subsidies — Jackson County

$349,787 in USDA farm subsidies to Jackson County recipients (2025).

Sum of payments to 29 recipients in this county, EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm), 2025 single year.

Program Breakdown (selected programs, EWG/USDA 2025)

Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance (MASC, one-time) $307,486
Disaster Payments $32,887
Emergency Commodity Assistance (ECAP, one-time) $6,819
Supplemental Disaster Relief (SDRP, one-time, included in Disaster Payments) $2,984
Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) $2,595

Selected USDA programs recorded in this county for 2025, each shown as its own figure. This is not a breakdown of the headline total above and the rows are not meant to be added up: the list is not exhaustive, and where one program sits inside another the same dollars appear on two lines, so a total of these rows can come out higher than the headline. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database / USDA, 2025. SDRP is part of the Disaster Payments figure, not additional to it. Emergency Commodity Assistance, Specialty Crop Marketing Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief are one-time programs funded by the American Relief Act, 2025.

Top Subsidy Recipients

# Recipient 2025 Total
1 W.M. $215,004
2 Shelton Farms Inc $42,306
3 Bear Valley Farm LLC $25,480
4 Windy Gap Tree Farm Inc $18,836
5 H.C. $10,768
6 G.J.B.J. $6,366
7 D.B. $4,514
8 S.P. $3,590
9 D.B. $3,213
10 G.D.P. $3,021

Top recipients by EWG totalfarm (2025). These named payments sum toward the headline total above. Source: EWG Farm Subsidy Database.

About Farming in Jackson County

Follow the money in Jackson County and a pattern emerges: recorded USDA payments here are concentrated — the top five recipients account for roughly 89% of the county's recorded farm-subsidy dollars (EWG, totalfarm, 2025). It also helps to know that about 17% of residents live below the poverty line (USDA ERS), a level at which USDA's beginning-farmer and limited-resource provisions may be relevant.

Jackson County has roughly 236 farms working about 22,208 acres of land in farms (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture), averaging ~94 acres per farm.

In Jackson County, non-irrigated cropland rents for roughly $58/acre and farmland is valued near $8,324/acre (USDA NASS).

Jackson County is predominantly hay country — a forage county. Its leading harvested crops are hay (~44% of harvested cropland) and corn (~2% of harvested cropland) (USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture).

Cattle run at roughly 9 head per 100 farmland acres (about 1,196 head of beef cows in inventory) here (USDA NASS, 2022 Census).

Recorded payments in Jackson County are fairly concentrated: the top 5 recipients accounted for about 89% of the county's recorded USDA farm-subsidy dollars across 29 recipients (EWG Farm Subsidy Database, totalfarm, 2025). A descriptive split of recorded payments, not a measure of need.

With grazing and forage a large part of the land use in Jackson County, conservation and grazing-oriented USDA programs — such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and grassland options under CRP — may be worth asking your local NRCS office about. This is signposting from county land-use patterns, not an eligibility determination.

Local signals from public data: Receives less USDA $/acre than most NC counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.; Rural (non-metro) county.

Local USDA Offices for Jackson County

Your local USDA service center is where farms in Jackson County apply for FSA and NRCS programs and get free, in-person help — they handle program sign-ups, conservation plans, and loan applications.

Farm Service Agency
Swain County Farm Service Agency
100 Brendle Street, Bryson City, NC
(828) 488-2684
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bryson City Service Center
100 Brendle Street, Bryson City, NC
(828) 488-2684

Source: USDA Service Center locator (Farmers.gov). Office details can change — confirm current hours and appointments via farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

FarmGrant Underserved Score

Not enough public data to score this county.

USDA Support Gap? 21.4/25
Producer Priority? 15.0/25
What drives this score
  • Receives less USDA $/acre than most NC counties — often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land, not unclaimed funding.
  • Rural (non-metro) county
  • Notable veteran population (7.9%)

We don't have enough public data to publish a single Underserved Score for this county yet — the score is published only when all three components (USDA support per acre, producer-priority composition, and crop-insurance coverage) have data. The available components are shown above. Lower USDA $/acre often reflects pasture, specialty, or non-commodity land use, not unclaimed funding.

Programs to look at in Jackson County

These are USDA programs commonly relevant to counties like this one, based on public county patterns. They are not a determination that you qualify — you may be eligible; check with your local FSA or NRCS office.

Conservation programs most farms can use

Counties receiving below-average USDA dollars per acre are often under-enrolled in conservation programs open to most land. You may be eligible — these are worth asking your NRCS or FSA office about.

CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) →EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) →
Priority for veteran producers

This county has a notable veteran-producer population. These USDA programs carry veteran priority — if that's you, they're worth a look.

FSA Microloan →FSA Direct Operating Loan →
Commodity support (if you grow program crops)

If you grow covered program crops, these commodity-support programs may apply. Eligibility depends on your crops and base acres — check with your FSA office.

ARC-CO (Agriculture Risk Coverage — County) →PLC (Price Loss Coverage) →
See the full set of USDA programs you could qualify for → free Subsidy Finder

USDA Funding Per Acre

Historically, Jackson County received about $15.75 per acre of farmland in USDA subsidies. That is near the state average for USDA $/acre. That ranks #1,797 of 3,032 U.S. counties for USDA dollars per farmland acre.

2025 USDA subsidy $ (EWG totalfarm) ÷ land-in-farms acres (22,208 acres, USDA NASS 2022 Census). A descriptive county-wide statistic — not a prediction of what any individual farm received or will receive.

See how Jackson County ranks against all U.S. counties →

County Land Economics & Demographics

Population
44,574
(2023, USDA ERS)
Median Income
$55,462
(USDA ERS)
Poverty Rate
17.0%
(USDA ERS)
Unemployment
3.6%
(USDA ERS)
Cropland Rent
$58/ac
(USDA NASS, non-irrig.)
Land Value
$8,324/ac
(USDA NASS, 2022 Census)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDA funding does Jackson County receive?

Jackson County recipients received about $349,787 in USDA farm subsidies in 2025, per the EWG Farm Subsidy Database (totalfarm). This is a single-year county total of recorded payments, not a forecast of future funding.

What USDA programs are available to farmers in Jackson County?

With grazing and forage prominent in Jackson County, conservation and working-lands programs (EQIP, CSP, grassland CRP) and disaster/livestock assistance may be especially relevant, alongside federal crop insurance and FSA loans. Eligibility depends on your farm; use the free Subsidy Finder to see programs you could qualify for, then confirm with your local FSA or NRCS office.

Nearby Counties in North Carolina

Programs your farm could qualify for

Farms in Jackson County may qualify for USDA programs based on crop, conservation, and disaster activity. Run the free Subsidy Finder to see which programs you could qualify for, then prep your local USDA office visit.

Find Your Programs Prep USDA Visit Deadlines

Data as of August 27, 2026. Subsidy figures: USDA/EWG 2025 release. Farmland acres: USDA NASS 2022 Census. Underserved Score refreshed monthly. Each figure above carries its own data year; this page is never fresher than its oldest input.