Used to make everything from clothing and bedding to bookbindings and medical supplies, upland cotton is a $300 million industry for North Carolina. See interesting facts and statistics about the important crop below:
- North Carolina ranks No. 7 in the nation for upland cotton production.
- Upland cotton, defined by its shorter fibers compared to pima cotton, represents about 97% of the cotton grown in the U.S.
- The state’s top counties for cotton and cottonseed production are Halifax, Bertie and Northampton.
Farm
North Carolina Sock Companies Craft Products From Sheep Farms and Cotton Fields
Keep your feet cozy with locally crafted products from these North Carolina sock companies.- North Carolina farms harvested 275,000 acres of cotton in 2025.
- Fiber from cotton is used to manufacture textiles, while the cottonseed is crushed to produce cooking oil and animal feed.
- The first North Carolina cotton mill was established in 1815 near Lincolnton and operated until 1819.
Sources: nass.usda.gov, ncagr.gov, National Cotton Council, NC State, CottonWorks™ by Cotton Inc.
