Farm Census

Yakima County, Washington

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

2,523 farms1,792,824 acres in farms$2.27 billion in farm sales

Among US counties with published figures, Yakima County ranks second for apples, third for sales of hay and other crops and tenth for sales of fruit and nuts.

Within Washington, no other county with a published figure has more farms, land in farms, corn for silage, cattle and calves or milk cows, or sells more farm products.

Fruit and nuts: 39.4%Fruit and nuts39.4%Milk: 27.8%Milk27.8%Hay and other crops: 16.8%Hay and other crops16.8%Cattle and calves: 8.2%Cattle and calves8.2%Withheld groups: 4.5%Withheld groups4.5%Grains and oilseeds: 3.3%3.3%Sheep and goats: 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%Fruit and nuts: 39.4%Fruit and nuts39.4%Milk: 27.8%Milk27.8%Hay and other crops: 16.8%Hay and other crops16.8%Cattle and calves: 8.2%8.2%Withheld groups: 4.5%4.5%Grains and oilseeds: 3.3%3.3%Sheep and goats: 0.1%Horses and mules: under 0.1%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: vegetables and melons, nursery and greenhouse crops, Christmas trees, hogs and pigs, poultry and eggs, aquaculture products and other animal products.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$892 million1st of 33
Milk from cows$630 million1st of 16
Hay and other crops$381 million1st of 35
Cattle and calves$185 million2nd of 33
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$73.6 million8th of 29
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$2.0 million1st of 33
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$811,0008th of 35

What the fields held

CropAcresShare of US
Orchard land87,3431.4%
of which grapes15,9771.4%
of which apples53,70313.1%
Hay and haylage43,2870.08%
Corn for silage33,8120.57%
Wheat23,9610.06%
Corn for grain15,764under 0.1%
Vegetables5,9330.14%
of which potatoes6030.06%
Barley497under 0.1%
Berries4880.14%
Oats28under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: dry edible beans and pecans.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms65.2%

Yakima County ranks seventh of 39 counties in Washington on this measure.

  • 339,183 acres of cropland, 19% of farmland
  • 1,433,300 acres of pastureland, 80% of farmland
  • 253,035 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Yakima County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 15 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 711 acres, 14th-largest of 39 in Washington. The most common size class is 1–9 acres, with 37.4% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 4.7% of the total.

1–937%10–4934%50–17914%180–4997%500–9993%1,000–1,9993%2,000+2%
Yakima County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Milk cows100,5911.1%
Cattle and calves236,9860.27%
Sheep and lambs7,2130.14%
Horses and ponies3,1330.13%
Goats2,9130.12%
Beef cows17,8170.06%
Hogs and pigs332under 0.1%
Turkeys78under 0.1%
Broilers sold in 2022422under 0.1%

Withheld: laying hens.

Who farms here

Decisions on Yakima County's 2,523 farms are made by 4,717 producers. Their average age is 59.0, 0.3 years below the Washington average. Women are 37.1% of them.

Under 355%35–4414%45–5416%55–6425%65–7427%75+13%
Yakima County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms2,952−14.5%
Land in farms, acres1,781,463+0.6%
Average farm size, acres603+17.9%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$1.99 billion+14.0%
Apples, acres58,670−8.5%
Grapes, acres18,769−14.9%
Orchard land, acres97,719−10.6%
Milk cows, head105,930−5.0%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Yakima County accounts for 17.8% of farm sales in Washington and 7.9% of the farms in Washington. Rank Washington counties for apples.

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