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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/Use
Data Item | Acres |
Total land area in 2016 | 34,034,000 |
Agricultural land in 2016 | 13,768,500 |
Cropland in 2016 | 7,084,000 |
Pastureland in 2016 | 4,902,200 |
Rangeland in 2016 | 17,100 |
Woodland in 2016 | 1,765,200 |
Agricultural land in 2001 | 14,228,800 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
Data Item | Acres |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 8,509,300 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 8,645,200 |
Best agricultural land in 2016 | 7,399,300 |
Best agricultural land in 2001 | 7,418,100 |
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 | 267,000 |
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 65,200 |
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 201,800 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 112,700 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 32,300 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 80,400 |
Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 74,500 |
Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 4,400 |
Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 70,100 |
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) | 71,700 | 61,000 | 31,200 | 318,000 |
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 13,099,100 | 12,298,700 | 12,680,000 | 13,639,300 |
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 8,475,300 | 8,365,700 | 8,226.600 | 8,666,200 |
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 74,000 | 65,300 | 38,500 | 323,000 |
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 4,900 | 7,500 | 3,000 | 18,400 |
Total surface area (acres) | 34,036,900 | 34,036,900 | 34,036,900 | 34,036,900 |
Census of Agriculture
Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
Farms | 49,346 | 45,071 | 42,625 |
Land in Farms (acres) | 13,872,862 | 13,810,786 | 13,888,929 |
Cropland (acres) | 8,432,221 | 7,931,111 | 7,825,947 |
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 2,637,556 | 3,123,642 | 3,188,973 |
Woodland (acres) | 2,239,119 | 2,258,259 | 2,370,481 |
Land in Buildings (acres) | 563,966 | 497,774 | 503,528 |
Total Land Area (acres) | 34,033,982 | 34,033,982 | 34,033,982 |
All operators/All producers | 75,308 | 69,704 | 72,555 |
All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 6,646 | 5,730 | 6,065 |
All operators/All producers 65 and older | 18,032 | 20,010 | 23,864 |
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 42,513 |
Principal producers | — | — | 58,346 |
Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 4,702 |
Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 20,673 |
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 15,833 |
Principal operators / Primary producers | 49,346 | 45,071 | 42,625 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 2,958 | 2,593 | 3,098 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 14,227 | 15,300 | 16,137 |
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 10,815 |
Market value of agricultural products sold | $7,508,806,000 | $9,775,758,000 | $9,651,160,000 |
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $152,166 | $216,897 | $226,420 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $8,161,000 | $6,369,000 | $9,215,000 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $22,835,000 |
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