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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 | 23,159,800 |
Agricultural land in 2016 | 16,362,500 |
Cropland in 2016 | 13,176,700 |
Pastureland in 2016 | 1,660,800 |
Rangeland in 2016 | 0 |
Woodland in 2016 | 1,524,900 |
Agricultural land in 2001 | 16,447,600 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
Data Item | Acres |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 12,026,000 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 12,102,100 |
Best agricultural land in 2016 | 9,824,000 |
Best agricultural land in 2001 | 9,780,800 |
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 | 265,500 |
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 102,400 |
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 163,100 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 162,100 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 68,600 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 93,500 |
Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 71,200 |
Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 2,800 |
Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 68,500 |
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) | 100,800 | 84,300 | 52,100 | 563,700 |
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 15,673,300 | 15.502,000 | 15,295,800 | 16,019,700 |
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 11,812,100 | 11,705,300 | 11,594,200 | 12,034,100 |
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 34,500 | 30,800 | 16,300 | 164,600 |
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 7,600 | 9,500 | 2,300 | 32,400 |
Total surface area (acres) | 23,158,400 | 23,158,400 | 23,158,400 | 23,158,400 |
Census of Agriculture
Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
Farms | 60,938 | 58,695 | 56,649 |
Land in Farms (acres) | 14,773,184 | 14,720,396 | 14,969,996 |
Cropland (acres) | 12,716,037 | 12,590,633 | 12,909,673 |
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 542,941 | 551,221 | 508,735 |
Woodland (acres) | 1,020,287 | 1,048,632 | 1,034,784 |
Land in Buildings (acres) | 493,919 | 529,910 | 516,804 |
Total Land Area (acres) | 23,159,762 | 23,159,762 | 23,159,762 |
All operators/All producers | 91,590 | 89,818 | 95,845 |
All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 9,510 | 9,623 | 10,338 |
All operators/All producers 65 and older | 19,213 | 20,608 | 27,918 |
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 58,124 |
Principal producers | — | — | 74,834 |
Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 7,459 |
Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 23,683 |
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 16,710 |
Principal operators / Primary producers | 60,938 | 58,695 | 56,649 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 4,532 | 4,764 | 5,308 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 15,354 | 15,919 | 18,758 |
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 11,841 |
Market value of agricultural products sold | $8,271,291,000 | $11,210,818,000 | $11,107,336,000 |
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $135,733 | $191,001 | $196,073 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $22,268,000 | $26,900,000 | $35,948,000 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $80,365,000 |
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