Farm operations
1,338
Avg 458 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WA · FIPS 53005 Top quartile by state sales DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Benton County, Washington - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Benton County. Ranked #3 of 39 counties in Washington.
612,372 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 75.6% 463,228 acres
- Other land
- 24.4% 149,144 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Benton County received $21.07 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 2.3× the Washington county median of $9.34.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $21.07
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.34
- Washington county median per acre
- 2.26×
- Washington 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Benton County, Washington is a CROP-HEAVY county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit far above state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$1.2B
11.8× state median -- Far above state median
Federal payments
$12.9M
1.1% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$283.0M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
A
Farm economy grade: A -- Benton County's net farm income sits at the 98th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Benton County Farm Data Shows
Benton County, Washington reads as a CROP-HEAVY county with DENSE federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 75% or more of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; payments per agricultural acre fall in the highest national quintile, $18.39 an acre or more, federal receipts concentrated on a small farmed base.
The state comparisons on this page use the 39 of 39 Washington counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 37 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 31 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Washington.
Read with Benton County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Benton (DENSE · CROP-HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Potter County, SD · DENSE
$12.9M federal receipts is higher by $3K than Benton; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Sampson County, NC · DENSE
$13.0M federal receipts is higher by $112K than Benton; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Roosevelt County, NM · MID
$13.1M federal receipts is higher by $167K than Benton; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Hillsborough County, FL · DENSE
$12.7M federal receipts is lower by $216K than Benton; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-HEAVY.
Richland County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Richland sits near Benton on payments-per-acre ($21.00) while total receipts differ.
Perkins County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Perkins sits near Benton on payments-per-acre ($20.98) while total receipts differ.
Washington ERS state roll-up
Benton stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY inside Washington's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Benton under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Where to go after Benton County, Washington:
- See how Washington compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Washington 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Benton County, Washington?
Benton County, Washington has 1,338 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 458 acres; land stamp CROP-HEAVY.
What is the total agricultural production value of Benton County?
Benton County's total commodity sales are $1.2B (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #3 among 39 counties in Washington.
How much federal farm assistance does Benton County receive?
Benton County received $12.9M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($21.07/acre) with a CROP-HEAVY land mix.
What is the net farm income in Benton County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Benton County is $283.0M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Washington
39 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp DENSE · land stamp CROP-HEAVY (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
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.