Farm Census

Washington County, Maryland

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

869 farms121,251 acres in farms$168 million in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Washington County ranks ninth for sales of other animal products.

Within Maryland, no other county with a published figure has more cattle and calves or milk cows.

Milk: 34.3%Milk34.3%Grains and oilseeds: 22.6%Grains and oilseeds22.6%Cattle and calves: 11.8%Cattle and calves11.8%Other animals: 11.5%Other animals11.5%Poultry and eggs: 6.7%Poultry and eggs6.7%Fruit and nuts: 5.1%Fruit and nuts5.1%Hay and other crops: 2.5%2.5%Vegetables and melons: 1.7%1.7%Sheep and goats: 1.3%1.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.0%1.0%Withheld groups: 0.8%0.8%Hogs and pigs: 0.6%0.6%Christmas trees: under 0.1%Milk: 34.3%Milk34.3%Grains and oilseeds: 22.6%22.6%Cattle and calves: 11.8%11.8%Other animals: 11.5%11.5%Poultry and eggs: 6.7%6.7%Fruit and nuts: 5.1%5.1%Hay and other crops: 2.5%2.5%Vegetables and melons: 1.7%1.7%Sheep and goats: 1.3%1.3%Nursery and greenhouse: 1.0%1.0%Withheld groups: 0.8%Hogs and pigs: 0.6%Christmas trees: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: horses and mules and aquaculture products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Milk from cows$57.6 million1st of 13
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$38.0 million9th of 23
Cattle and calves$19.8 million1st of 19
Other animals and animal products$19.3 million1st of 15
Poultry and eggs$11.3 million10th of 19
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$8.6 million1st of 17
Hay and other crops$4.2 million4th of 18
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$2.8 million10th of 23
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$2.2 million1st of 17
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$1.6 million16th of 19
Hogs and pigs$1.0 million2nd of 14
Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops$58,0005th of 10

What the fields held

Washington County harvested 75,410 acres of cropland in 2022, seventh of 23 counties in Maryland. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 32% of that, soybeans 27%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage23,908under 0.1%
Soybeans20,445under 0.1%
Corn for grain17,619under 0.1%
Wheat8,884under 0.1%
Corn for silage5,3590.09%
Barley2,1070.09%
Orchard land1,464under 0.1%
of which grapes94under 0.1%
of which apples1,0810.26%
Grain sorghum524under 0.1%
Vegetables496under 0.1%
of which potatoes13under 0.1%
Berries48under 0.1%
Oats21under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: sunflower.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms41.4%

Washington County ranks seventh of 23 counties in Maryland on this measure.

  • 84,464 acres of cropland, 70% of farmland
  • 22,431 acres of pastureland, 18% of farmland
  • 17,786 acres of woodland, 15% of farmland
  • 479 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Washington County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 50 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 140 acres, 11th-largest of 23 in Maryland. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 33.1% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.0% of the total.

1–916%10–4933%50–17929%180–49917%500–9993%1,000–1,9991%2,000+0%
Washington County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Milk cows10,8150.12%
Goats1,7650.07%
Sheep and lambs3,5510.07%
Cattle and calves36,191under 0.1%
Horses and ponies755under 0.1%
Beef cows7,068under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs3,497under 0.1%
Turkeys98under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 20221,681under 0.1%

Withheld: laying hens.

Who farms here

Decisions on Washington County's 869 farms are made by 1,603 producers. Their average age is 54.5, 3.3 years below the Maryland average. Women are 38.0% of them.

Under 3513%35–4416%45–5416%55–6424%65–7421%75+10%
Washington County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms877−0.9%
Land in farms, acres119,248+1.7%
Average farm size, acres136+2.9%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$154 million+9.2%
Apples, acres945+14.4%
Milk cows, head13,023−17.0%
Corn for silage, acres8,874−39.6%
Barley, acres2,309−8.7%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Washington County accounts for 5.0% of farm sales in Maryland and 6.9% of the farms in Maryland. Rank Maryland counties for apples.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.