Washington Data and Statistics - FIC

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Washington Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Washington Statistics page. Here you will find frequently requested data specific to this state from AFT's Farms Under Threat: The State of the States report, the National Resources Inventory, the Census of Agriculture, and the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) program survey. You also can link to additional information and data sources.

On This Page

Farms Under Threat

National Resources Inventory

Census of Agriculture

Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

Other Data Sources

Farms Under Threat: The State of the States

All estimates represent figures for the Conterminous U.S.

Total and Agricultural Land Cover/Use

Data Item Acres
Total land area in 2016 43,279,500
Agricultural land in 2016 15,398,200
Cropland in 2016 6,749,800
Pastureland in 2016 1,462,000
Rangeland  in 2016 6,880,800
Woodland in 2016 305,500
Agricultural land in 2001 15,819,300

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 6,011,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 6,132,000
Best agricultural land in 2016 7,895,800
Best agricultural land in 2001 7,918,700

Nationally Significant agricultural land is the land best-suited to long-term, intensive crop production within the Conterminous United States; and each state’s “best land” is approximately the better half of all agricultural land in each state. For more information about these categories of high-quality agricultural land and how they were identified, see the interactive website for Farms Under Threat: The State of the States, and the fact sheet about AFT’s Productivity, Versatility, and Resiliency (PVR) Analysis.

Agricultural Land Converted from 2001-2016

Data Item Acres
Agricultural land developed or compromised 97,800
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 50,100
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 47,800
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 29,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 12,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 17,000
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 38,700
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 11,400
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 27,300

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 73,700 39,200 16,900 363,300
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 14,619,500 14,459,200 14,353,300 14,958,200
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 1,538,700 1,491,700 1,461,100 1,608,400
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 118,400 92,400 40.300 561,100
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 6,400 6,500 1,100 33,500
Total surface area (acres) 44,035,300 44,035,300 44,035,300 44,035,300

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 39,284 37,249 35,793
Land in Farms (acres) 14,972,789 14,748,107 14,679,857
Cropland (acres) 7,609,210 7,526,742 7,488,625
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 4,775,287 4,518,550 4,628,666
Woodland (acres) 1,988,322 2,139,141 2,044,726
Land in Buildings (acres) 599,970 563,674 517,840
Total Land Area (acres) 43,279,454 43,279,454 43,279,454
All operators/All producers 63,645 60,912 64,290
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 4,340 4,074 4,141
All operators/All producers 65 and older 13,927 17,086 22,032
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 37,991
Principal producers 50,504
Principal producers 34 and younger 2,890
Principal producers 65 and older 18,532
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 12,513
Principal operators / Primary producers 39,284 37,249 35,793
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 1,680 1,707 1,783
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 10,554 12,389 13,900
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 8,411
Market value of agricultural products sold $6,792,856,000 $9,120,749,000 $9,634,461,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $172,917 $244,859 $269,172
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $43,537,000 $45,124,000 $68,574,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $614,755,000

Notes on Changes to the 2017 Census of Agriculture

  • Producer characteristic data were collected for a maximum of four producers on each farm, up from a maximum of three producers in prior years.
  • Principal producer is a new term that identifies up to two main decision-makers on each farm, up from one principal operator in prior years.
  • Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers expanded to include value-added products.
  • Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products is a new data item.

 


Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

For summaries of PACE activity by state, use the links for the downloadable table or most recent fact sheets on the national statistics page under Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs.


Other Data Sources

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