Gala And Honeycrisp Apples Still Reign In Washington’s Orchards

It's been a while since the Wenatchee world proclaimed Wenatchee the Apple capital of the world. (And the buckle of the power belt.) Of all the things that come out of Wenatchee, probably apples are the most well-known, and thanks to the pioneering qualities of organizations like Auvil Fruit, WSU, and the Tree Fruit Research Center lots of innovations are still coming out of the apple capital. 

These days there are so many different apple varieties, it's difficult to make a choice. These days, my favorite is the Cosmic Crisp. 

What is Washington State's favorite apple? 

According to axios.com,
‘The top apple produced in Washington state remains the trusty Gala apple, followed by the Honeycrisp and Granny Smith varieties. 
At the same time, Cosmic Crisp, which was bred at Washington State University and released in 2019, is climbing up the ranks. 

It might be easier to say, "What is the world's favorite apple from Washington.”  

The number 5 most popular apple is the Cosmic Crisp. Estimated to produce 18.3 million bushels. in the 25, 26 season. 

number 4 is the Red Delicious with 22.5 million bushels this season. 

number 3 is the Granny Smith (another favorite of mine) with 28.6 million bushels this season. 

The number 2 Apple. The Honey Crisp. 28.9 million bushels this season. 

The number one Apple variety produced in Washington this season.  

The Gala, at 33.7 million bushels this season. By the way, a bushel normally pencils out to 42 lbs per box. Multiply that times 33.7 million and that's a lot of apples. 

Looking at those numbers, without a doubt, Washington state is the largest apple producing state in the union. Nobody else even comes close. The apples grown in Washington show up on store shelves all across the country. 

Here's a little factoid to put in your back pocket. New York, which is the second largest apple producing state in the country, is forecast to produce. 35,000,000 bushels this growing season. That's fewer apples than what Washington state will produce from just the number one apple variety from our state. 

If you live on the west side of the mountains in Washington and you're thinking about big business, you're thinking about Boeing and Microsoft. If you live in Eastern Washington and you're thinking of big business, you're thinking of apples. Lots and lots of apples.
Gala is Washington state's top apple this season - Axios Seattle
2025-26 Apple Production Will Reach Nearly 279 Million Bushels  - USApple