California Data and Statistics - FIC

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California Data and Statistics

Welcome to the California Statistics page. Here you will find frequently requested data specific to this state from AFT's Farms Under Threat: The State of the States report, the National Resources Inventory, the Census of Agriculture, and the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) program survey. You also can link to additional information and data sources.

On This Page

Farms Under Threat

National Resources Inventory

Census of Agriculture

Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program

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 101,246,100
Agricultural land in 2016 34,006,800
Cropland in 2016 10,637,000
Pastureland in 2016 1,505,200
Rangeland  in 2016 21,702,100
Woodland in 2016 162,500
Agricultural land in 2001 34,359,500

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 6,280,500
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 6,264,500
Best agricultural land in 2016 15,411,200
Best agricultural land in 2001 15,615,600

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 465,900
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 316,600
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 149,400
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 49,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 24,800
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 24,200
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 319,000
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 225,300
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 93,700

Learn More

2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 341,500 295,200 145,600 1,842,000
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 30,783,700 29,933,400 29,501,400 32,543,700
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 5,453,200 5,390,100 5,114,800 6,006,100
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 73,8000 40,400 17,700 329,000
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 17,000 10,100 5,000 66,300
Total surface area (acres) 101,510,200 101,510,200 101,510,200 101,510,200

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 81,033 77,857 70,521
Land in Farms (acres) 25,364,695 25,569,001 24,522,801
Cropland (acres) 9,464,647 9,591,783 9,597,439
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 13,275,042 13,036,448 11,606,249
Woodland (acres) 1,270,720 1,575,520 1,847,551
Land in Buildings (acres) 1,354,286 1,365,250 1,471,562
Total Land Area (acres) 101,246,121 101,246,121 101,246,121
All operators/All producers 130,756 126,099 128,535
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 7,543 7,621 7,983
All operators/All producers 65 and older 32,975 39,428 46,730
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 73,352
Principal producers 98,936
Principal producers 34 and younger 5,403
Principal producers 65 and older 39,768
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 25,584
Principal operators / Primary producers 81,033 77,857 70,521
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 2,758 3,221 3,397
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 25,130 29,053 30,008
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 17,356
Market value of agricultural products sold $33,885,064,000 $42,627,472,000 $45,154,359,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $418,164 $547,510 $640,297
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $162,896,000 $169,915,000 $782,028,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $4,355,737,000

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.

 

 


Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

For summaries of PACE activity by state, use the links for the downloadable table or most recent fact sheets on the national statistics page under Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs.


California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program


Other Data Sources

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