Table 55. Selected Operator Characteristics for Principal, Second, and Third Operator: 2012 
[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text.] 
Characteristics 
All operators 1 
Principal operator 
Second operator 
Third operator 
Operators number 
59,784 
37,249 
19,889 
2,646 
Sex of operator: 
Male 
37,408 
29,730 
6,188 
1,490 
Spouse of principal operator 
2,938 
(X) 
2,899 
39 
Female 
22,376 
7,519 
13,701 
1,156 
Spouse of principal operator 
12,672 
(X) 
12,458 
214 
Primary occupation: 
Farming 
26,017 
17,650 
7,075 
1,292 
Other 
33,767 
19,599 
12,814 
1,354 
Place of residence: 
On farm operated 
48,982 
30,701 
16,704 
1,577 
Not on farm operated 
10,802 
6,548 
3,185 
1,069 
Days worked off farm: 
None 
23,021 
14,862 
7,152 
1,007 
Any 
36,763 
22,387 
12,737 
1,639 
1 to 49 days 
5,503 
3,247 
1,959 
297 
50 to 99 days 
2,898 
1,596 
1,128 
174 
100 to 199 days 
5,655 
3,364 
2,070 
221 
200 days or more 
22,707 
14,180 
7,580 
947 
Years on present farm: 
2 years or less 
2,840 
1,449 
1,028 
363 
3 or 4 years 
4,044 
2,200 
1,505 
339 
5 to 9 years 
11,366 
6,451 
4,283 
632 
10 years or more 
41,534 
27,149 
13,073 
1,312 
Years operating any farm (see text): 
2 years or less 
2,202 
1,086 
818 
298 
3 or 4 years 
3,355 
1,769 
1,275 
311 
5 to 9 years 
9,830 
5,500 
3,730 
600 
10 years or more 
44,397 
28,894 
14,066 
1,437 
Age group: 
Under 25 years 
757 
181 
229 
347 
25 to 34 years 
3,317 
1,526 
1,352 
439 
35 to 44 years 
6,724 
3,502 
2,729 
493 
45 to 54 years 
13,441 
7,887 
5,120 
434 
55 to 64 years 
18,459 
11,764 
6,142 
553 
65 to 74 years 
11,927 
8,347 
3,324 
256 
75 years and over 
5,159 
4,042 
993 
124 
Average age 
56.8 
58.8 
54.5 
45.7 
Number of persons living in household 
116,105 
97,348 
14,334 
4,423 
1 Data were collected for a maximum of three operators per farm. 
46 Washington 
2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data 
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service 
