Welcome to the Iowa 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, and the Census of Agriculture. You also can link to additional information and data sources.
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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 | 36,015,300 |
| Agricultural land in 2016 | 30,983,600 |
| Cropland in 2016 | 26,517,400 |
| Pastureland in 2016 | 3,401,600 |
| Rangeland in 2016 | 0 |
| Woodland in 2016 | 1,064,600 |
| Agricultural land in 2001 | 30,398,800 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
| Data Item | Acres |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 25,752,100 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 25,403,300 |
| Best agricultural land in 2016 | 16,813,800 |
| Best agricultural land in 2001 | 16,724,100 |
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 | 114,200 |
| Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 75,400 |
| Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 38,800 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 74,400 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 49,300 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 25,100 |
| Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 23,000 |
| Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 6,500 |
| Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 16,500 |
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) | 60,400 | 50,800 | 34,100 | 287,800 |
| Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 30,486,500 | 30,302,200 | 30,168,800 | 30,915,400 |
| Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 17,722,200 | 17,669,000 | 17,619,900 | 17,843,200 |
| Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 13,200 | 11,600 | 5,500 | 44,400 |
| Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 3,200 | 3,500 | 1,600 | 9,800 |
| Total surface area (acres) | 36,016,500 | 36,016,500 | 36,016,500 | 36,016,500 |
Census of Agriculture
| Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Farms | 92,856 | 88,637 | 86,104 |
| Land in Farms (acres) | 30,747,550 | 30,622,731 | 30,563,878 |
| Cropland (acres) | 26,316,332 | 26,256,347 | 26,545,960 |
| Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 1,914,924 | 1,906,410 | 1,780,649 |
| Woodland (acres) | 1,193,303 | 1,165,549 | 1,103,650 |
| Land in Buildings (acres) | 1,322,991 | 1,294,425 | 1,133,619 |
| Total Land Area (acres) | 36,015,260 | 36,015,260 | 36,015,260 |
| All operators/All producers | 136,068 | 131,535 | 145,432 |
| All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 11,827 | 11,686 | 13,258 |
| All operators/All producers 65 and older | 33,118 | 34,147 | 47,565 |
| All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 92,930 |
| Principal producers | — | — | 115,630 |
| Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 10,234 |
| Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 40,543 |
| Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 22,700 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers | 92,856 | 88,637 | 86,104 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 6,278 | 6,242 | 7,141 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 25,996 | 26,105 | 31,356 |
| Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 15,707 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold | $20,418,096,000 | $30,821,532,000 | $28,956,455,000 |
| Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $219,890 | $347,728 | $336,296 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $16,506,000 | $17,522,000 | $19,974,000 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $15,851,000 |
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