A Regional Center for Commerce and Industry

In 2006 Yakima County had 558,000 acres of private land used for agriculture. Not only does the county lead Washington State in agricultural production (1.2 billion annually), it also ranks 12th in the United States in total agricultural output. In addition, Yakima County is home to four of the state’s largest privately held companies, a statistic only one other county east of the Cascade Mountain Range can boast.

Yakima has a large and highly varied farm base, complemented by diverse non-agricultural interests.  The 2007 Census of Agriculture ranked Yakima County as the State’s number one producer of apples, corn, spearmint, peppermint, grapes, and one of the top producers of sweet cherries. Farmers in the Yakima Valley harvest 40 million pounds of hops annually – 20% of the world’s supply (only Germany produces more). Yakima produces 29% of the nation’s cherries, 42% of the nation’s pears, and 38% of the nation’s concord grapes.  Yakima County has the largest inventory of bee colonies, cattle, and sheep of any county in the State.

The Valley’s agricultural tradition drives value-added manufacturing methods focusing on food processing. These activities include milling, blending, packaging, canning, freezing, and refining end products for industrial, business, and consumer uses.  Food processing represents about 40 percent of the manufacturing sector.  Its more than 250 firms employ nearly 10,000 workers, and, in 2006, the gross sales for Yakima’s food processors exceeded $1.4 billion.

A significant share of manufacturing employment stems from the agricultural sector but lumber & wood products, non-electrical machinery, paper and allied products, transportation equipment, plastics, and fabricated metal products comprise 11 percent of the county’s employment.  Transportation and warehousing, retail, and hospitality services combine for 24 percent while government totals 17 percent.

Professional business, education and health care services combine for 18 percent of the Valley’s economy.  Yakima County has five local hospitals with the two largest in the City of Yakima; all of which are award-winning facilities that provide superior medical care.  A significant achievement for Yakima is the 2008 opening of the first medical university in the Pacific Northwest in 60 years. Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences trains family practitioners to serve the five state Northwest region.  For more information on healthcare in the Yakima Valley click here.

Top 20 Employers