Farm operations
1,338
Avg 458 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WA · FIPS 53005 1,338 farms Top quartile (#3/39) 76% cropland DENSE CROP-HEAVY
Benton County, Washington - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Benton County. Ranked #3 of 39 counties in Washington.
612K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 75.6% 463K acres
- Other land
- 24.4% 149K 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.
1,338 farms · $1.2B sales
Benton County, Washington reports 1,338 farms and $1.2B in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #169 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #3 of 39 counties in Washington; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #3 of 39
- National payments rank #169 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 1.1%
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 reported 1,338 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $1.2B in total commodity sales and receiving $12.9M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($21.07/acre); land stamp CROP-HEAVY. Net cash farm income came in at $283.0M. In-state sales rank #3 of 39 in Washington.
Of 612,372 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 463,228 acres (75.6%) - a CROP-HEAVY profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles. Federal intensity is DENSE; pair the ABS payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Washington.
Land Use
$21.07 per acre of agricultural land · the median Washington county receives $9.34. Payments per acre normalise federal support for farm size; both figures come from the same USDA NASS 2022 Census county table.
Total Ag Land
612,372 acres
Cropland
463,228 acres
Avg Farm Size
458 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 75.6%
463,228 cropland acres · CROP-HEAVY stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 612,372 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 463,228 | 75.6% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 149,144 | 24.4% |
| Average farm size | 458 | acres / farm |
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).
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 (#169)
Benton ranks #169 of 2943 on NASS federal farm program payments under the DENSE intensity band.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
Benton County, Washington stamps DENSE · CROP-HEAVY in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #169 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. Three places to go next:
- 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.
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.