Delaware Data and Statistics - FIC

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Delaware Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Delaware 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

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 1,338,200
Agricultural land in 2016 519,300
Cropland in 2016 412,500
Pastureland in 2016 41,800
Rangeland  in 2016 100
Woodland in 2016 64,900
Agricultural land in 2001 542,200

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 434,600
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 461,600
Best agricultural land in 2016 263,300
Best agricultural land in 2001 261,000

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 31,700
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 10,500
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 21,300
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 27,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 8,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 18,000
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 12,700
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 2,300
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 10,400

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 21,400 18,200 5,900 86,900
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 510,600 487,300 452,300 554,500
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 331,400 316,300 297,300 358,900
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 13,800 9,800 5,300 46,200
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) NA NA NA 1,800
Total surface area (acres) 1,533,500 1,533,500 1,533,500 1,533,500

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 2,546 2,451 2,302
Land in Farms (acres) 510,253 508,652 525,324
Cropland (acres) 432,773 439,157 452,211
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 6,773 8,154 8,317
Woodland (acres) 46,126 42,184 43,578
Land in Buildings (acres) 24,581 19,157 21,218
Total Land Area (acres) 1,338,247 1,338,247 1,338,247
All operators/All producers 3,928 3,855 3,963
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 325 298 326
All operators/All producers 65 and older 857 1,121 1,312
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 2,561
Principal producers 3,138
Principal producers 34 and younger 223
Principal producers 65 and older 1,156
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 577
Principal operators / Primary producers 2,546 2,451 2,302
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 132 110 136
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 632 820 891
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 403
Market value of agricultural products sold $1,083,035,000 $1,274,014,000 $1,465,973,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $425,387 $519,794 $636,826
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $3,505,000 $4,302,000 $13,970,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $17,067,000

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.


Other Data Sources

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