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West Virginia

State Quick Facts

Population
1,770,071​

Total State GDP
$97,417,300,000

State Land Area (Acres)
15,384,320

Land in Forest (Acres)
12,025,205

Land in Forest
78%

Land in Farms (Acres)
3,500,000

Land in Farms
23%

Number of Farms
22,800

Average Farm Size (acres)
154

Farm Real Estate Value (per acre) 
$3,200

Agricultural Cash Receipts 
$933,813,000

Cash Receipts from Crops 
$195,669,000

Cash Receipts from Animals 
$738,144,000

Top Ag. Commodities

Broilers
 $262,024,000

Cattle and Calves
$205,458,000

Turkeys
$127,696,000

Miscellaneous Crops
$83,007,000

Chicken Eggs
$67,046,000

Top Ag. Exports

Other Plant Products
$53,274,188

Other Livestock Products
$33,737,043

Beef and Veal
$27,050,423

Broiler Meat
$21,511,068

Other Poultry Products
$19,644,793

West Virginia Economic Contribution and Impact Research

In 2022, West Virginia generated around $0.9 billion in agricultural cash receipts with the highest valued commodities being broilers, cattle and calves, and turkeys. That same year, the value of West Virginia’s agricultural production and processing industries represented 1.6 percent of total state GDP. Some of the dollars generated by these industries end up being re-spent within the local economy, bringing additional value to the state through “multiplier effects.” Economic impact and contribution studies measure these effects, which can be broken down into direct, indirect, and induced economic effects.

Websites, reports, fact sheets, and articles related to the economic impacts and contributions of West Virginia’s food, fiber, and forest industries can be found below.

Websites:

Information related to West Virginia’s food, fiber, and forest industries can be found by visiting the following website(s):

*At present, there is no universally agreed upon standard methodology for producing economic impact or economic contribution reports.  Please exercise caution when viewing and comparing reports as each may vary significantly in terms of source data and analysis and reporting methodology.