Five-second answer

Claim we investigated

Washington grows most of America's apples.

True. Washington has produced more than half of the U.S. commercial apple crop every year since 2000. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates show Washington produced 7.16 billion of the 10.72 billion pounds of commercial apples sold or used in 2025 (66.8 percent) and more than half in each of the 26 years since 2000. The claim holds on every measure checked (volume, value, fresh-market sales and orchard acreage), though the size of the share depends on the year and on USDA's 2018 decision to estimate only seven states.

Quote or cite this fact-check

FactHub rates the claim “Washington grows most of America's apples” True (high confidence): Washington has produced more than half of the U.S. commercial apple crop every year since 2000. Reviewed October 9, 2026. https://facthub.org/n/article/washington-grows-most-us-apples/3

One-minute summary

What the evidence establishes

  • Washington produced 7,163 million pounds of the 10,718.5 million pounds of utilized U.S. commercial apples in 2025 (66.8 percent), according to NASS.
  • Washington's share exceeded 50 percent in all 26 years from 2000 to 2025. It ranged from 52.3 percent (2003) to 72.3 percent (2012); the 2000-2004 average was 57.2 percent and the 2021-2025 average 65.7 percent.
  • Washington ranked first every year. New York was second in 24 of 26 years and Michigan in two; Washington produced 3.8 to 9.1 times as much as the second state.
  • Since 2018 NASS has estimated only seven states, and its U.S. total is their sum. Adding back the 2015-2017 average output of the other states lowers Washington's 2018-2025 share to 57.1-63.7 percent (63.1 percent in 2025), still a majority every year.
  • Washington's share of crop value (56.8 to 74.9 percent) is usually higher than its share of volume, and it supplied 70.7 to 77.8 percent of fresh-market apples in 2021-2025.
  • The Census of Agriculture, which counts every farm in every state, put 47.2 percent of U.S. bearing apple acres in Washington in 2022. Washington's share of production is higher than its share of land because its yields per acre are higher.
  • For 2026, NASS forecasts 7.4 billion pounds for Washington, 70.9 percent of the seven-state total production forecast.
Important context: Agriculture | Fact check. The claim is read as Washington producing more than half of U.S. apples by weight. The main evidence is USDA NASS survey data on commercial orchards (100 or more trees), checked against the Census of Agriculture, which counts every farm, and against a USDA Economic Research Service analysis. All numbers are USDA estimates rather than direct counts, and since 2018 the published U.S. total covers only seven states.

The evidence

The conclusion rests on the combined record. Expand each item to see its role and limitations.

Independence note: This check uses 5 methods across 3 institutions and 1 country or international grouping.
Evidence map
Method Institution / country Year(s) What it shows Key limitation Primary links
Annual survey estimates of utilized production by state, compiled from NASS Quick Stats (2007-2025) and the NASS Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts annual summaries (2000-2006); share = Washington / U.S. utilized production USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service United States 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Washington's share of U.S. utilized apple production was above 50 percent in all 26 years from 2000 through 2025: lowest 52.3 percent in 2003, highest 72.3 percent in 2012, 66.8 percent in 2025 (7,163 of 10,718.5 million pounds). The level has risen over time, from a 57.2 percent average in 2000-2004 to 65.7 percent in 2021-2025, while Washington's output grew from about 5 to 6 billion pounds a year to about 7 billion. The 2012 peak was not a Washington boom alone: the Michigan crop fell to 115 million pounds that year from 975 million in 2011. These are NASS survey estimates for commercial orchards of 100 or more bearing trees, not complete counts. NASS publishes them as the national statistical agency, and all figures in this item depend on its survey methods. Values for 2000-2006 come from NASS annual summaries as revised in 2003, 2006 and 2008 because Quick Stats holds state survey estimates only from 2007. Since 2018 the U.S. total is the sum of seven states (see item 3). USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service FactHub
Ranking of states by utilized production each year and ratio of Washington to the second-largest state USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service United States 2000, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2023, 2025 Washington ranked first in every year from 2000 to 2025. New York was second in 24 years and Michigan in 2016 and 2023. In 2025 New York produced 1,493.5 million pounds (13.9 percent), Michigan 1,064 (9.9 percent) and Pennsylvania 503 (4.7 percent). Washington's crop was at least 3.8 times the second state's (2009) and as much as 9.1 times (2012). Rankings use the same NASS survey estimates as item 1, so they are not independent of it. From 2018 only seven states are ranked; no state outside them is large enough to matter for first place (all other states combined produced 546 to 718 million pounds a year in 2015-2017). USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service FactHub
Sensitivity analysis: adjusted share = Washington / (published seven-state total + 631.5 million pounds, the 2015-2017 average utilized production of all other states) USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, FactHub United States 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Quick Stats carries utilized-production estimates for 20 states in 2017 and 7 states from 2018 (California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington), and the published U.S. total from 2018 is their sum. That raises Washington's apparent share. In 2015-2017 the other states produced 4.9 to 7.2 percent of the U.S. crop. Adding back their average output lowers Washington's share from 60.8-67.5 percent to 57.1-63.7 percent in 2018-2025 (from 66.8 to 63.1 percent in 2025). Washington remains above half in every year. The add-back is a FactHub estimate that assumes the other states kept producing at their 2015-2017 average; their true recent output is unknown because NASS no longer estimates it. Fewer states were estimated in 2016-2017 than earlier, so the add-back may be somewhat low. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service FactHub
Census of Agriculture: bearing apple acres on all farms in every state, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (Census of Agriculture) United States 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2022 The Census of Agriculture, which includes small and non-commercial orchards in all states, counted 171,373 of 363,098 U.S. bearing apple acres in Washington in 2022 (47.2 percent), up from 37.9 percent in 2002. New York was second each time (56,086 acres in 2022). Because Washington's orchards yield far more per acre (44,100 pounds in 2025 against a seven-state average of 37,400), a share of land just under half is consistent with a majority share of production. Acreage is not production, so this item cannot confirm a production share by itself. The Census of Agriculture is also run by NASS, though it is a separate program with a different method (a census of all farms every five years rather than an annual survey of commercial orchards). Washington estimates carry a coefficient of variation of 3.5 to 9.2 percent where published. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service FactHub
Share of the value of utilized production (NASS), share of fresh-market production (NASS), and comparison with the USDA Economic Research Service's published range USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA Economic Research Service United States 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Washington's share of the value of U.S. apples ranged from 56.8 to 74.9 percent and was 66.8 percent in 2025 ($1.885 billion of $2.820 billion). Its share of fresh-market apples was 70.7 to 77.8 percent in 2021-2025; ERS's September 2026 outlook independently states that Washington's share of fresh-market production ranged from 71 to 80 percent over the previous five seasons and calls Washington the largest apple-producing state. Value is nominal and depends on NASS price estimates. ERS's fresh-market figure comes from NASS data, so it is a separate analysis rather than independent measurement, and ERS does not state which years or measure produce its 80 percent upper bound; FactHub's crop-year calculation reaches 77.8 percent for 2021-2025 and 81.1 percent only in 2012. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Economic Research Service FactHub
1. 1. USDA estimates put Washington above half of U.S. apple production every year since 2000

Washington's share of U.S. utilized apple production was above 50 percent in all 26 years from 2000 through 2025: lowest 52.3 percent in 2003, highest 72.3 percent in 2012, 66.8 percent in 2025 (7,163 of 10,718.5 million pounds). The level has risen over time, from a 57.2 percent average in 2000-2004 to 65.7 percent in 2021-2025, while Washington's output grew from about 5 to 6 billion pounds a year to about 7 billion. The 2012 peak was not a Washington boom alone: the Michigan crop fell to 115 million pounds that year from 975 million in 2011.

Limit: These are NASS survey estimates for commercial orchards of 100 or more bearing trees, not complete counts. NASS publishes them as the national statistical agency, and all figures in this item depend on its survey methods. Values for 2000-2006 come from NASS annual summaries as revised in 2003, 2006 and 2008 because Quick Stats holds state survey estimates only from 2007. Since 2018 the U.S. total is the sum of seven states (see item 3).

Verify: Quick Stats: apples, survey program, state and national annual estimates (CSV export) Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2002 Summary (July 8, 2003) Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2005 Summary (July 6, 2006) Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2007 Summary, revised (July 8, 2008) Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

Washington's share of U.S. apple production and crop value, 2000-2025Washington's share of U.S. commercial apple utilized production and of its value each year, from USDA NASS estimates.{"width":960,"height":540,"plot":{"left":90,"top":70,"right":926,"bottom":482},"yDomain":[0,80],"series":[{"name":"Share of utilized production","color":"#176b87"},{"name":"Share of crop value","color":"#b6542c"}],"points":[{"series":0,"x":90,"y":182.63,"xLabel":"2000","yLabel":"58.13"},{"series":1,"x":90,"y":189.48,"xLabel":"2000","yLabel":"56.8"},{"series":0,"x":123.44,"y":199.73,"xLabel":"2001","yLabel":"54.81"},{"series":1,"x":123.44,"y":162.96,"xLabel":"2001","yLabel":"61.95"},{"series":0,"x":156.88,"y":166.46,"xLabel":"2002","yLabel":"61.27"},{"series":1,"x":156.88,"y":146.07,"xLabel":"2002","yLabel":"65.23"},{"series":0,"x":190.32,"y":212.76,"xLabel":"2003","yLabel":"52.28"},{"series":1,"x":190.32,"y":148.18,"xLabel":"2003","yLabel":"64.82"},{"series":0,"x":223.76,"y":176.3,"xLabel":"2004","yLabel":"59.36"},{"series":1,"x":223.76,"y":173.57,"xLabel":"2004","yLabel":"59.89"},{"series":0,"x":257.2,"y":176.3,"xLabel":"2005","yLabel":"59.36"},{"series":1,"x":257.2,"y":164.86,"xLabel":"2005","yLabel":"61.58"},{"series":0,"x":290.64,"y":189.63,"xLabel":"2006","yLabel":"56.77"},{"series":1,"x":290.64,"y":157.81,"xLabel":"2006","yLabel":"62.95"},{"series":0,"x":324.08,"y":185.93,"xLabel":"2007","yLabel":"57.49"},{"series":1,"x":324.08,"y":130.46,"xLabel":"2007","yLabel":"68.26"},{"series":0,"x":357.52,"y":176.71,"xLabel":"2008","yLabel":"59.28"},{"series":1,"x":357.52,"y":181.96,"xLabel":"2008","yLabel":"58.26"},{"series":0,"x":390.96,"y":198.18,"xLabel":"2009","yLabel":"55.11"},{"series":1,"x":390.96,"y":148.54,"xLabel":"2009","yLabel":"64.75"},{"series":0,"x":424.4,"y":171.51,"xLabel":"2010","yLabel":"60.29"},{"series":1,"x":424.4,"y":138.49,"xLabel":"2010","yLabel":"66.7"},{"series":0,"x":457.84,"y":182.79,"xLabel":"2011","yLabel":"58.1"},{"series":1,"x":457.84,"y":130.46,"xLabel":"2011","yLabel":"68.26"},{"series":0,"x":491.28,"y":109.86,"xLabel":"2012","yLabel":"72.26"},{"series":1,"x":491.28,"y":96.37,"xLabel":"2012","yLabel":"74.88"},{"series":0,"x":524.72,"y":190.72,"xLabel":"2013","yLabel":"56.56"},{"series":1,"x":524.72,"y":132.83,"xLabel":"2013","yLabel":"67.8"},{"series":0,"x":558.16,"y":157.55,"xLabel":"2014","yLabel":"63"},{"series":1,"x":558.16,"y":143.75,"xLabel":"2014","yLabel":"65.68"},{"series":0,"x":591.6,"y":179.33,"xLabel":"2015","yLabel":"58.77"},{"series":1,"x":591.6,"y":127.11,"xLabel":"2015","yLabel":"68.91"},{"series":0,"x":625.04,"y":160.28,"xLabel":"2016","yLabel":"62.47"},{"series":1,"x":625.04,"y":135.35,"xLabel":"2016","yLabel":"67.31"},{"series":0,"x":658.48,"y":151.22,"xLabel":"2017","yLabel":"64.23"},{"series":1,"x":658.48,"y":134.48,"xLabel":"2017","yLabel":"67.48"},{"series":0,"x":691.92,"y":150.03,"xLabel":"2018","yLabel":"64.46"},{"series":1,"x":691.92,"y":108.83,"xLabel":"2018","yLabel":"72.46"},{"series":0,"x":725.36,"y":134.38,"xLabel":"2019","yLabel":"67.5"},{"series":1,"x":725.36,"y":116.81,"xLabel":"2019","yLabel":"70.91"},{"series":0,"x":758.8,"y":141.79,"xLabel":"2020","yLabel":"66.06"},{"series":1,"x":758.8,"y":114.91,"xLabel":"2020","yLabel":"71.28"},{"series":0,"x":792.24,"y":136.13,"xLabel":"2021","yLabel":"67.16"},{"series":1,"x":792.24,"y":124.95,"xLabel":"2021","yLabel":"69.33"},{"series":0,"x":825.68,"y":168.67,"xLabel":"2022","yLabel":"60.84"},{"series":1,"x":825.68,"y":139.32,"xLabel":"2022","yLabel":"66.54"},{"series":0,"x":859.12,"y":142.2,"xLabel":"2023","yLabel":"65.98"},{"series":1,"x":859.12,"y":153.69,"xLabel":"2023","yLabel":"63.75"},{"series":0,"x":892.56,"y":134.43,"xLabel":"2024","yLabel":"67.49"},{"series":1,"x":892.56,"y":138.29,"xLabel":"2024","yLabel":"66.74"},{"series":0,"x":926,"y":137.83,"xLabel":"2025","yLabel":"66.83"},{"series":1,"x":926,"y":137.77,"xLabel":"2025","yLabel":"66.84"}]}Washington's share of U.S. apple production and crop value, 2000-202502040608020002004200720112014201820212025Crop yearShare of utilized productionShare of crop value50% = half of U.S. productionNASS estimates 7 states from 2018FactHub · Washington share of U.S. total (%)
Washington's share of U.S. commercial apple utilized production and of crop value, 2000-2025 (USDA NASS). The share stays above the 50 percent line every year. From 2018 the U.S. total covers seven states, which raises the share by about 3 to 4 points. View source chart
2. 2. No other state comes close

Washington ranked first in every year from 2000 to 2025. New York was second in 24 years and Michigan in 2016 and 2023. In 2025 New York produced 1,493.5 million pounds (13.9 percent), Michigan 1,064 (9.9 percent) and Pennsylvania 503 (4.7 percent). Washington's crop was at least 3.8 times the second state's (2009) and as much as 9.1 times (2012).

Limit: Rankings use the same NASS survey estimates as item 1, so they are not independent of it. From 2018 only seven states are ranked; no state outside them is large enough to matter for first place (all other states combined produced 546 to 718 million pounds a year in 2015-2017).

Verify: Quick Stats: apples, survey program, state and national annual estimates (CSV export) Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2025 Summary (May 2026) Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

3. 3. The share holds after correcting for states USDA stopped surveying

Quick Stats carries utilized-production estimates for 20 states in 2017 and 7 states from 2018 (California, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington), and the published U.S. total from 2018 is their sum. That raises Washington's apparent share. In 2015-2017 the other states produced 4.9 to 7.2 percent of the U.S. crop. Adding back their average output lowers Washington's share from 60.8-67.5 percent to 57.1-63.7 percent in 2018-2025 (from 66.8 to 63.1 percent in 2025). Washington remains above half in every year.

Limit: The add-back is a FactHub estimate that assumes the other states kept producing at their 2015-2017 average; their true recent output is unknown because NASS no longer estimates it. Fewer states were estimated in 2016-2017 than earlier, so the add-back may be somewhat low.

Verify: Quick Stats: apples, survey program, state and national annual estimates (CSV export) Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

4. 4. A census of every farm shows Washington has nearly half of U.S. apple land

The Census of Agriculture, which includes small and non-commercial orchards in all states, counted 171,373 of 363,098 U.S. bearing apple acres in Washington in 2022 (47.2 percent), up from 37.9 percent in 2002. New York was second each time (56,086 acres in 2022). Because Washington's orchards yield far more per acre (44,100 pounds in 2025 against a seven-state average of 37,400), a share of land just under half is consistent with a majority share of production.

Limit: Acreage is not production, so this item cannot confirm a production share by itself. The Census of Agriculture is also run by NASS, though it is a separate program with a different method (a census of all farms every five years rather than an annual survey of commercial orchards). Washington estimates carry a coefficient of variation of 3.5 to 9.2 percent where published.

Verify: Quick Stats: apples, Census of Agriculture, state and national (CSV export) Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2025 Summary (May 2026) Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

5. 5. Washington also leads by value and dominates fresh-market apples

Washington's share of the value of U.S. apples ranged from 56.8 to 74.9 percent and was 66.8 percent in 2025 ($1.885 billion of $2.820 billion). Its share of fresh-market apples was 70.7 to 77.8 percent in 2021-2025; ERS's September 2026 outlook independently states that Washington's share of fresh-market production ranged from 71 to 80 percent over the previous five seasons and calls Washington the largest apple-producing state.

Limit: Value is nominal and depends on NASS price estimates. ERS's fresh-market figure comes from NASS data, so it is a separate analysis rather than independent measurement, and ERS does not state which years or measure produce its 80 percent upper bound; FactHub's crop-year calculation reaches 77.8 percent for 2021-2025 and 81.1 percent only in 2012.

Verify: Quick Stats: apples, survey program, state and national annual estimates (CSV export) Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook: September 2026 (FTS-386) Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

Common questions

“USDA's U.S. total now leaves out most states, so the two-thirds figure is inflated.”

Partly correct. Since 2018 NASS publishes seven states and sums them as the U.S. total. Adding back the other states' 2015-2017 average output lowers Washington's 2025 share from 66.8 to about 63 percent. That is still a clear majority, and before 2018, when 20 to 35 states were estimated, Washington's share was above half every year as well.

“Backyard trees and small orchards are not counted.”

NASS's annual estimates cover commercial orchards of 100 or more trees. The Census of Agriculture counts every farm with apple trees, and it still places nearly half of all U.S. bearing apple acres in Washington. Non-farm backyard trees are not measured by any source, but they would need to produce billions of pounds to change the answer.

“Washington's share swings a lot, so most is an exaggeration in some years.”

The share does vary, from 52.3 percent in 2003 to 72.3 percent in 2012, mainly because of crop failures and alternate bearing in other states. It was the closest call in 2003, but it never fell below half in the 26 years checked.

“By value, Washington's share could be lower because processing apples are cheap.”

The opposite is usually true. Washington sells most of its crop fresh, at higher prices, so its share of value (56.8 to 74.9 percent) is usually above its share of pounds. In 2023 its value share (63.8 percent) was slightly below its volume share (66.0 percent).

“Washington grows two-thirds or more of U.S. apples.”

Two-thirds matches the published seven-state U.S. total in some recent years (60.8 to 67.5 percent in 2018-2025). Against a full national total, about 57 to 64 percent is a better estimate. Shares above 70 percent apply to fresh-market apples, where Washington supplied 70.7 to 77.8 percent in 2021-2025.

Conclusion

Every line of evidence points the same way. NASS's annual survey shows Washington producing more than half of U.S. commercial apples in all 26 years from 2000 to 2025, and its share has drifted upward from the high 50s to the mid-60s as its own output grew to about 7 billion pounds. No other state is close: New York, usually second, produces roughly a fifth as much. The main caveat is how the U.S. total is defined. Since 2018 NASS has estimated only seven states, which flatters Washington's share by about 3 to 4 points; adjusting for that puts the recent share at roughly 57 to 64 percent rather than 61 to 68 percent. The claim survives that adjustment in every year, and it is supported by value, fresh-market and acreage measures too. The Census of Agriculture, a separate count of every farm, shows Washington with just under half of U.S. apple land, which fits a larger share of production given Washington's high yields. What the data cannot show is the exact recent national total, because USDA no longer estimates the smaller apple states; that uncertainty affects the size of Washington's majority, not whether it has one. Confidence: High that Washington produces a majority; moderate on the exact recent share, which is about 63 percent rather than 67 percent if states that USDA stopped surveying in 2018 are added back.

How we checked

  1. Defined the claim as Washington producing more than half of U.S. apples by weight, using NASS utilized production (fruit sold or used) as the main measure, and checked total production, value, fresh-market production and acreage as alternatives.
  2. Downloaded NASS Quick Stats survey data (2007-2025) through the Quick Stats web export, because the Quick Stats API requires a key; the exact queries and file digests are in the dataset's source manifest.
  3. Parsed state tables from the NASS Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts annual summaries for 2000-2006 (July 2003, 2006 and 2008 editions) and cross-checked overlapping years against later NASS releases (differences of 0 to 160 million pounds from NASS revisions).
  4. Computed Washington's share, rank and ratio to the second-largest state each year, and tested the 2018 change in NASS coverage with a sensitivity analysis.
  5. Checked the production result against an independent method (Census of Agriculture acreage on all farms) and a separate institution's analysis (USDA ERS fresh-market share).
  6. Recorded limits: estimates rather than counts, the seven-state U.S. total since 2018, commercial-orchard coverage, nominal values, and dependence on NASS for nearly all data.

Editorial note: Scope: this article checks Washington's share of U.S. apple production. It does not address consumption, exports, or comparisons with other countries. Data dependency: nearly all figures come from USDA NASS, the official U.S. source for crop statistics; the Census of Agriculture and the ERS outlook are separate USDA programs, not independent institutions in the full sense. Independence note: one country, two USDA agencies plus FactHub's own calculations, three methods (annual survey, five-year census, published outlook analysis), and data spanning 2000-2026. External review: no external agricultural-statistics specialist review has been recorded. To verify yourself: 1. Open the dataset and download the CSV tables and scripts. 2. Re-run the Quick Stats queries listed in the source manifest. 3. Compare the 2025 figures with the NASS Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2025 Summary. 4. Check each limitation against the linked sources. 5. Submit counter-evidence through the challenge form. Challenge this fact-check: identify the specific conclusion you dispute and provide verifiable evidence that could change it. Credible challenges deserve review and a visible response.

Expert-review status

No external specialist review has been recorded for this article. The data, scripts and limitations are published for direct reader verification.

Funding and conflicts

Funding: No external funding was received for this article or the underlying dataset.

Ownership: FactHub prepared the curated data, analysis and article. Original data remain attributable to USDA NASS and USDA ERS.

Conflicts: No known conflicts of interest. FactHub has no affiliation with apple growers, packers or industry associations.

Sources

Sources are labeled by their role so readers can evaluate the evidence independently.

  1. Primary data, 2007-2025 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Quick Stats: apples, survey program, state and national annual estimates (CSV export) Identifier: Quick Stats query: SURVEY, APPLES, PRODUCTION and AREA BEARING, STATE and NATIONAL, ANNUAL

    Official state and U.S. estimates of apple production, utilized production, value, fresh-market production and bearing acres. Chosen as the authoritative U.S. crop statistics.

  2. Census of all farms (alternative method) USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Quick Stats: apples, Census of Agriculture, state and national (CSV export) Identifier: Quick Stats query: CENSUS, APPLES, STATE and NATIONAL

    Apple acreage on every farm in every state, 2002-2022. Chosen because it covers the small orchards and states that the annual survey omits.

  3. Primary data, 2000-2002 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2002 Summary (July 8, 2003) Identifier: Apples, Commercial state tables, 2000-2002

    NASS state apple estimates for years not held in Quick Stats.

    Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
  4. Primary data, 2003-2004 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2005 Summary (July 6, 2006) Identifier: Apples, Commercial state tables, 2003-2005

    NASS state apple estimates for 2003-2004.

    Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
  5. Primary data, 2005-2006 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2007 Summary, revised (July 8, 2008) Identifier: Apples, Commercial state tables, 2005-2007

    NASS state apple estimates for 2005-2006 and a cross-check for 2007.

    Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
  6. Latest official state table and definitions USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2025 Summary (May 2026) Identifier: Apple, Commercial Bearing Acreage, Yield, Production, Price, and Value, 2023-2025

    NASS's most recent annual apple table and its definition of commercial orchards; used to cross-check the 2023-2025 figures.

    Archived copy captured September 26, 2026
  7. Separate agency analysis USDA Economic Research Service. Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook: September 2026 (FTS-386) Identifier: FTS-386, page 3

    ERS's outlook states Washington's fresh-market share (71 to 80 percent over the previous five seasons) and the 2026 Washington forecast; used as a cross-check.

    Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
  8. Curated data and saved analyses FactHub. Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

    All tables, saved analyses, scripts, source digests and limitations behind the numbers in this article.

  9. FactHub dataset Washington's Share of U.S. Commercial Apple Production, 2000-2025

    • Tables: annual-wa-share, state-year-production

      Saved analysis wa-share-series: Washington's share of utilized production and value, 2000-2025

    • Tables: annual-wa-share

      Saved analysis share-summary: years above 50 percent, minimum, maximum and averages

    • Tables: annual-wa-share, state-year-production

      Saved analyses second-largest-state and state-ranking-2025

    • Tables: annual-wa-share

      Saved analysis seven-state-sensitivity, 2018-2025

    • Tables: census-acreage

      Saved analysis census-acreage-share, Census of Agriculture 2002-2022

    • Tables: annual-wa-share

      Saved analysis fresh-market-share and replications against ERS FTS-386

    • Scope: Entire dataset release

      Saved analysis forecast-2026 (NASS August 2026 forecast, total production)

  10. FactHub chart wa-apple-share-of-us-production

Update history

  1. Initial version.
  2. Added a photo of a Washington apple packing line as the main and link-preview image; the chart stays in the evidence section.
  3. Rating standardized under FactHub's verdict rules (was a free-text finding); the headline now states the finding. The evidence and conclusion are unchanged.

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