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Farms Under Threat
National Resources Inventory
Census of Agriculture
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/Us
Data Item | Acres |
Total land area in 2016 | 72,959,100 |
Agricultural land in 2016 | 34,631,600 |
Cropland in 2016 | 785,300 |
Pastureland in 2016 | 36,700 |
Rangeland in 2016 | 33,805,700 |
Woodland in 2016 | 3,900 |
Agricultural land in 2001 | 35,168,100 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
Data Item | Acres |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 574,600 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 540,500 |
Best agricultural land in 2016 | 16,892,900 |
Best agricultural land in 2001 | 17,007,200 |
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 | 280,100 |
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 190,500 |
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 89,600 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 5,700 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 2,800 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 3,000 |
Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 152,600 |
Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 102,200 |
Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 50,400 |
Learn More
- Read the full report Farms Under Threat: The State of the States
- Explore our maps, policy scorecard, and background data from Farms Under Threat: The State of the States on our interactive website, www.farmland.org/farmsunderthreat.
2012 National Resources Inventory
1997-2002 | 2002-2007 | 2007-2012 | 1982-2012 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) | 447,300 | 227,600 | 103,100 | 1,123,600 |
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 34,537,300 | 34,208,600 | 34,005,600 | 34,506,200 |
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 840,500 | 638,400 | 556,000 | 1,014,500 |
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | 2,900 | 3,900 | 32,500 |
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 10,300 | NA | NA | 12,300 |
Total surface area (acres) | 72,964,400 | 72,964,400 | 72,964,400 | 72,964,400 |
Census of Agriculture
Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
Farms | 15,637 | 20,005 | 19,086 |
Land in Farms (acres) | 26,117,899 | 26,249,195 | 26,125,819 |
Cropland (acres) | 1,205,425 | 1,150,811 | 1,286,648 |
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 22,900,777 | 23,051,028 | 22,220,633 |
Woodland (acres) | 279,779 | (D) | 651,695 |
Land in Buildings (acres) | 1,731,918 | (D) | 1,966,843 |
Total Land Area (acres) | 72,959,110 | 72,959,110 | 72,959,110 |
All operators/All producers | 26,183 | 33,613 | 33,847 |
All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 2,166 | 2,170 | 2,227 |
All operators/All producers 65 and older | 7,523 | 11,122 | 12,687 |
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 20,154 |
Principal producers | — | — | 25,358 |
Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 1,245 |
Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 10,687 |
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 5,204 |
Principal operators / Primary producers | 15,637 | 20,005 | 19,086 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 759 | 561 | 677 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 5,494 | 8,058 | 8,354 |
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 3,627 |
Market value of agricultural products sold | $3,234,552,000 | $3,732,113,000 | $3,852,008,000 |
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $206,852 | $186,559 | $201,824 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $5,247,000 | $7,963,000 | $26,588,000 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $231,342,000 |
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.
- FIC 2017 Census of Agriculture Fact Sheet
- Download: Table of Land in Farms by State
- Census of Agriculture Website