Farm operations
1,582
Avg 65 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WA · FIPS 53073 1,582 farms Top quartile (#7/39) 63% cropland DENSE CROP-LED
Whatcom County, Washington - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Whatcom County. Ranked #7 of 39 counties in Washington.
103K acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 62.9% 65K acres
- Other land
- 37.1% 38K acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Whatcom County received $38.71 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 4.1× the Washington county median of $9.34.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $38.71
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $9.34
- Washington county median per acre
- 4.15×
- 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.
1,582 farms · $510.3M sales
Whatcom County, Washington reports 1,582 farms and $510.3M in commodity sales in the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, ranking #775 of 2943 U.S. counties by federal farm program payments. According to the Census extract on PlainFarmData, in-state commodity-sales rank is #7 of 39 counties in Washington; Census county totals are not a roll-up of USDA ERS state payment series.
- In-state sales rank #7 of 39
- National payments rank #775 of 2943
- Govt payments / sales ratio 0.8%
Commodity sales
$510.3M
5.0× state median -- Above state median
Federal payments
$4.0M
0.8% of sales -- Below-typical dependence
Net farm income
$117.6M
2022 cash income -- Well above-typical net income
B
Farm economy grade: B -- Whatcom County's net farm income sits at the 88th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Whatcom County Farm Data Shows
Whatcom County, Washington reported 1,582 farm operations in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, generating $510.3M in total commodity sales and receiving $4.0M in federal farm program payments. Intensity stamp DENSE ($38.71/acre); land stamp CROP-LED. Net cash farm income came in at $117.6M. In-state sales rank #7 of 39 in Washington.
Of 102,886 acres agricultural land, cropland dominates at 64,682 acres (62.9%) - a CROP-LED 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
$38.71 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
102,886 acres
Cropland
64,682 acres
Avg Farm Size
65 ac
Cropland share of agricultural land 62.9%
64,682 cropland acres · CROP-LED stamp.
Land Use Breakdown
| Category | Acres | Share of Ag Land |
|---|---|---|
| Total agricultural land | 102,886 | 100.0% |
| Cropland | 64,682 | 62.9% |
| Pasture, range, woodland, other | 38,204 | 37.1% |
| Average farm size | 65 | acres / farm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Whatcom County, Washington?
Whatcom County, Washington has 1,582 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 65 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Whatcom County?
Whatcom County's total commodity sales are $510.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #7 among 39 counties in Washington.
How much federal farm assistance does Whatcom County receive?
Whatcom County received $4.0M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping DENSE on NASS payments-per-acre ($38.71/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Whatcom County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Whatcom County is $117.6M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
Read with Whatcom County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Whatcom (DENSE · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
DENSE CROP-LED
Big Horn County, WY · MID
$4.0M federal receipts is lower by $1K than Whatcom; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Lenoir County, NC · DENSE
$4.0M federal receipts is higher by $4K than Whatcom; land stamp CROP-HEAVY vs CROP-LED.
Brown County, TX · MID
$4.0M federal receipts is lower by $5K than Whatcom; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Hopkins County, TX · HEAVY
$4.0M federal receipts is higher by $12K than Whatcom; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Tift County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Tift sits near Whatcom on payments-per-acre ($39.71) while total receipts differ.
Gilchrist County (DENSE $/acre pole)
Gilchrist sits near Whatcom on payments-per-acre ($35.46) while total receipts differ.
Washington ERS state roll-up
Whatcom stamps DENSE · CROP-LED inside Washington's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard (#775)
Whatcom ranks #775 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
Whatcom County, Washington stamps DENSE · CROP-LED in the 2022 NASS Census, ranking #775 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.