Table 55. Selected Operator Characteristics for Principal, Second, and Third Operator: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Characteristics 
All operators 1 
Principal operator 
Second operator 
Third operator 
Operators number 
72,905 
50,218 
19,561 
3,126 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
53,260 
43,765 
7,664 
1,831 
Spouse of principal operator 
2,483 
(X) 
2,432 
51 
Female 
19,645 
6,453 
11,897 
1,295 
Spouse of principal operator 
11,011 
(X) 
10,694 
317 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
33,312 
24,574 
7,397 
1,341 
Other 
39,593 
25,644 
12,164 
1,785 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
55,706 
39,098 
14,940 
1,668 
Not on farm operated 
17,199 
11,120 
4,621 
1,458 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
28,273 
20,047 
7,012 
1,214 
Any 
44,632 
30,171 
12,549 
1,912 
1 to 49 days 
5,791 
3,864 
1,646 
281 
50 to 99 days 
3,544 
2,364 
989 
191 
1 00 to 1 99 days 
6,334 
4,390 
1,733 
211 
200 days or more 
28,963 
19,553 
8,181 
1,229 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
3,214 
1,659 
1,121 
434 
3 or 4 years 
4,324 
2,459 
1,520 
345 
5 to 9 years 
11,431 
6,909 
3,836 
686 
10 years or more 
53,936 
39,191 
13,084 
1,661 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
2,618 
1,298 
922 
398 
3 or 4 years 
3,673 
2,030 
1,338 
305 
5 to 9 years 
10,025 
5,935 
3,471 
619 
10 years or more 
56,589 
40,955 
13,830 
1,804 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
1,008 
220 
383 
405 
25 to 34 years 
4,078 
2,101 
1,431 
546 
35 to 44 years 
8,419 
4,932 
2,945 
542 
45 to 54 years 
15,867 
10,391 
4,923 
553 
55 to 64 years 
21,462 
15,124 
5,780 
558 
65 to 74 years 
15,145 
11,629 
3,185 
331 
75 years and over 
6,926 
5,821 
914 
191 
Average age 
56.9 
58.9 
53.5 
46.2 
Number of persons living in household 
146,428 
122,234 
18,953 
5,241 
1 Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
North Carolina 43 
