Welcome to the Montana 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 | 94,106,000 |
| Agricultural land in 2016 | 55,495,300 |
| Cropland in 2016 | 14,788,500 |
| Pastureland in 2016 | 5,082,600 |
| Rangeland in 2016 | 35,442,900 |
| Woodland in 2016 | 181,200 |
| Agricultural land in 2001 | 54,418,300 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
| Data Item | Acres |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 9,213,000 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 8,770,700 |
| Best agricultural land in 2016 | 27,103,200 |
| Best agricultural land in 2001 | 26,734,000 |
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 | 96,300 |
| Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 20,200 |
| Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 76,200 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 26,200 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 3,600 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 22,600 |
| Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 66,100 |
| Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 10,700 |
| Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 55,400 |
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) | 29,400 | 46,000 | 22,200 | 204,100 |
| Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 58,383,800 | 58,384,000 | 58,249,300 | 58,353,300 |
| Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 963,600 | 953,000 | 935,600 | 972,200 |
| Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 7,200 | 9,300 | 3,400 | 49,100 |
| Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | 3,400 | NA | 10,600 |
| Total surface area (acres) | 94,110,000 | 94,110,000 | 94,110,000 | 94,110,000 |
Census of Agriculture
| Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Farms | 29,524 | 28,008 | 27,048 |
| Land in Farms (acres) | 61,388,462 | 59,758,917 | 58,122,878 |
| Cropland (acres) | 18,241,710 | 17,022,177 | 16,406,300 |
| Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 40,003,265 | 39,293,812 | 38,459,451 |
| Woodland (acres) | 2,284,011 | 2,609,922 | 2,540,798 |
| Land in Buildings (acres) | 859,476 | 833,006 | 716,329 |
| Total Land Area (acres) | 94,106,047 | 94,106,047 | 94,106,047 |
| All operators/All producers | 46,903 | 45,246 | 48,161 |
| All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 3,094 | 3,096 | 3,855 |
| All operators/All producers 65 and older | 11,584 | 12,732 | 17,055 |
| All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 29,740 |
| Principal producers | — | — | 37,682 |
| Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 2,706 |
| Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 14,551 |
| Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 7,942 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers | 29,524 | 28,008 | 27,048 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 1,296 | 1,387 | 1,761 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 8,837 | 9,318 | 11,004 |
| Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 5,358 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold | $2,803,062,000 | $4,230,083,000 | $3,520,623,000 |
| Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $94,942 | $151,031 | $130,162 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $6,321,000 | $9,423,000 | $9,797,000 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $9,206,000 |
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
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.