North Carolina leads the entire United States in several major categories: tobacco, sweet potatoes, poultry and egg sales, and textile manufacturing. The state also ranks second nationally in hog production and is a significant player in chemicals, furniture, and Christmas trees. That mix of agricultural dominance and manufacturing strength makes North Carolina one of the most productively diverse states in the country.
Sweet Potatoes: Over Half the National Supply
North Carolina is the country’s top sweet potato producer by a wide margin. The state grows roughly 52 to 61 percent of all sweet potatoes harvested in the United States, depending on the year. California and Mississippi trail far behind in second and third place. Most of this production is concentrated in the eastern part of the state, where sandy, well-drained soils and a long growing season create ideal conditions.
Tobacco Still Tops the List
Despite decades of decline, North Carolina remains the nation’s number one tobacco-producing state. The state harvested about 260 million pounds in 2023 and accounts for roughly 63 percent of all U.S. tobacco production. Nearly all of it is flue-cured tobacco, a category where North Carolina’s share climbs even higher to 89 percent nationally.
That said, tobacco’s role in the state economy has been shrinking steadily. Production has fallen more than 13 percent over the past 20 years, and the crop no longer defines the state the way it once did. But in raw agricultural terms, no other state comes close.
Poultry, Eggs, and Hogs
North Carolina ranks first in the nation for total poultry and egg cash receipts, pulling in over $7.4 billion annually. That puts it ahead of Georgia and Arkansas, the next two largest poultry states. The eastern counties are home to massive broiler chicken and turkey operations that supply processors across the Southeast.
Hog production is nearly as dominant. North Carolina has the second-largest annual pig crop in the country at 18.5 million head, behind only Iowa. The hog industry is heavily concentrated in Duplin and Sampson counties, which together contain more hogs than most entire states.
Textiles: Leading U.S. Manufacturing
North Carolina leads the nation in textile manufacturing. The state exports $1.4 billion in textile goods globally, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all U.S. textile exports. While the industry has contracted from its mid-20th-century peak, when textiles and apparel formed the state’s largest manufacturing sector, North Carolina has held onto its top position by shifting toward technical textiles, non-woven fabrics, and advanced materials rather than competing on basic garment production.
Furniture’s Complicated Legacy
For most of the 20th century, North Carolina was the undisputed capital of American furniture making. The state became the nation’s top producer of both upholstered and wooden household furniture, and the industry grew into the second-largest manufacturing sector in the state. High Point, in the central Piedmont region, still hosts the world’s largest home furnishings trade show twice a year.
But the production side has largely moved overseas. China’s wood furniture exports to the U.S. grew from $241 million in 1994 to $4.2 billion by 2004. By 2016, nearly three-quarters of all furniture sold in America was imported. Many North Carolina furniture companies shifted from manufacturing to importation and distribution. The state still plays a central role in the furniture industry, but more as a design, marketing, and logistics hub than a factory floor.
Chemicals: The Biggest Manufacturing Export
When measured by export value, chemicals are North Carolina’s single largest manufactured product. The state shipped $16.5 billion worth of chemicals in 2024, far outpacing machinery ($4.6 billion), transportation equipment ($3.4 billion), and computer and electronic products ($2 billion). This category includes pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and industrial compounds, much of it tied to the Research Triangle area’s concentration of biotech and pharmaceutical companies. North Carolina ranks fourth nationally in biotechnology strength, behind California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
Christmas Trees and Fraser Firs
North Carolina harvests 5 to 6 million Christmas trees every year, making it one of the top producing states. What sets it apart is specialization: more than 96 percent of the state’s Christmas tree harvest is Fraser fir, a species native to the high-elevation mountains of western North Carolina. These trees are prized for their symmetrical shape, strong branches, and ability to retain needles long after cutting. The mountains around Avery, Ashe, and Watauga counties are the heart of this industry.
Lithium and Mineral Resources
North Carolina sits on one of the largest known lithium deposits in the United States. The Kings Mountain area in the western Piedmont contains an estimated 150,000 or more tons of lithium in hard-rock spodumene deposits. This site is considered one of four major U.S. lithium reserves alongside deposits in Nevada and California. As demand for lithium-ion batteries grows, North Carolina’s mineral resources could become an increasingly important part of the domestic supply chain, though large-scale extraction is still ramping up.