Farm operations
1,582
Avg 65 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census WA · FIPS 53073 Top quartile by state sales DENSE CROP-LED
Whatcom County, Washington - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Whatcom County. Ranked #7 of 39 counties in Washington.
102,886 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 62.9% 64,682 acres
- Other land
- 37.1% 38,204 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.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Whatcom County, Washington is a CROP-LED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp DENSE; commodity sales sit above state median and it shows below-typical federal dependence.
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 reads as a CROP-LED county with DENSE federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 50% to 75% 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 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
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Whatcom under the DENSE intensity band.
What to do with this
Three ways to keep going from Whatcom 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 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).
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-LED (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.