Farm operations
869
Avg 140 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census MD · FIPS 24043 869 farms Upper-middle (#10/23) 70% cropland HEAVY CROP-LED
Washington County, Maryland - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Washington County. Ranked #10 of 23 counties in Maryland.
121K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 69.7% 84K acres
- Other land
- 30.3% 37K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Washington County received $16.25 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.1× the Maryland county median of $7.71.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $16.25
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $7.71
- Maryland county median per acre
- 2.11×
- Maryland median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
869 farms · $167.9M sales
Washington County, Maryland reports 869 farms and $167.9M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #1364 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #10 of 23 counties in Maryland; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #10 of 23
- National payments rank #1364 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.2%
Commodity sales
$167.9M
1.5× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$2.0M
1.2% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$53.0M
2022 cash income -- Typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Washington County's net farm income sits at the 70th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Washington County Farm Data Shows
Washington County, Maryland reported 869 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $167.9M in total commodity sales and receiving $2.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp HEAVY ($16.25/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $53.0M. In-state sales rank #10 of 23 in Maryland.
Of 121,251 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 84,464 acres (69.7%) - a CROP-LED profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is HEAVY; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Maryland.
Land Use
$16.25 per acre of agricultural land · the median Maryland county receives $7.71. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
121,251 acres
Cropland
84,464 acres
Avg Farm Size
140 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 69.7%
84,464 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 121,251 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 84,464 | 69.7% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 36,787 | 30.3% |
| Average farm size | 140 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Washington County, Maryland?
Washington County, Maryland has 869 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 140 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Washington County?
Washington County's total commodity sales are $167.9M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #10 among 23 counties in Maryland.
How much federal farm assistance does Washington County receive?
Washington County received $2.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($16.25/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Washington County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Washington County is $53.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Washington County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Washington (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Marshall County, OK · MID
$2.0M federal receipts is higher by $1K than Washington; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Elmore County, ID · LIGHT
$2.0M federal receipts is higher by $2K than Washington; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Shelby County, IN · MID
$2.0M federal receipts is lower by $2K than Washington; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Huron County, OH · MID
$2.0M federal receipts is lower by $3K than Washington; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Wadena County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Wadena sits near Washington on payments-per-acre ($16.23) while total receipts differ.
Northumberland County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Northumberland sits near Washington on payments-per-acre ($16.42) while total receipts differ.
Maryland ERS state roll-up
Washington stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Maryland's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#1364)
Washington ranks #1364 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the HEAVY intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Washington County, Maryland stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #1364 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- See how Maryland compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Maryland state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.