Massachusetts Data and Statistics - FIC

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Massachusetts Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Massachusetts 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 5,192,900
Agricultural land in 2016 500,200
Cropland in 2016 167,400
Pastureland in 2016 90,400
Rangeland  in 2016 0
Woodland in 2016 242,400
Agricultural land in 2001 523,100

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 215,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 225,700
Best agricultural land in 2016 247,700
Best agricultural land in 2001 255,500

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 27,200
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 14,300
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 12,800
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 11,300
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 5,400
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 5,900
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 11,900
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 5,200
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 6,700

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 13,100 6,800 2,800 93,300
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 393,100 384,800 370,500 485,400
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 140,300 133,500 128,800 160,600
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 72,600 52,900 29,900 544,000
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) NA NA NA 17,600
Total surface area (acres) 5,339,000 5,339,000 5,339,000 5,339,000

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 7,691 7,755 7,241
Land in Farms (acres) 517,879 523,517 491,653
Cropland (acres) 187,406 160,789 171,496
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 48,120 62,234 46,341
Woodland (acres) 212,539 209,111 194,189
Land in Buildings (acres) 69,814 91,383 79,627
Total Land Area (acres) 5,192,927 5,192,927 5,192,927
All operators/All producers 12,265 12,595 13,371
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 869 1,055 1,082
All operators/All producers 65 and older 2,494 3,189 4,315
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 7,618
Principal producers 10,154
Principal producers 34 and younger 705
Principal producers 65 and older 3,719
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 2,536
Principal operators / Primary producers 7,691 7,755 7,241
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 341 419 428
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 1,914 2,333 2,732
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 1,734
Market value of agricultural products sold $489,820,000 $492,211,000 $475,184,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $63,687 $63,470 $65,624
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $42,065,000 $47,909,000 $100,466,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $57,189,000

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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