North Carolina Data and Statistics - FIC

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North Carolina Data and Statistics

Welcome to the North Carolina 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 31,747,500
Agricultural land in 2016 10,362,000
Cropland in 2016 5,627,700
Pastureland in 2016 1,677,800
Rangeland  in 2016 0
Woodland in 2016 3,056,600
Agricultural land in 2001 10,889,500

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 6,088,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 6,321,500
Best agricultural land in 2016 5,454,400
Best agricultural land in 2001 5,549,500

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 731,600
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 159,800
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 571,700
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 387,500
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 74,300
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 313,200
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 299,800
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 21,800
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 278,000

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 211,100 83,400 35,500 848,200
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 7,873,900 7,503,100 7,303,800 8,676,900
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 3,936,000 3,768,800 3,671,700 4,219,100
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 440,200 192,100 120,400 1,586,700
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres 15,900 11,100 6,500 61,000
Total surface area (acres) 33,709,300 33,709,300 33,709,300 33,709,300

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 52,913 50,218 46,418
Land in Farms (acres) 8,474,671 8,414,756 8,430,522
Cropland (acres) 4,895,204 4,745,014 5,000,685
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 941,609 1,051,041 947,028
Woodland (acres) 2,201,609 2,145,710 2,014,540
Land in Buildings (acres) 436,249 472,991 468,269
Total Land Area (acres) 31,747,540 31,747,540 31,747,540
All operators/All producers 76,832 73,846 74,958
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 5,518 5,086 5,572
All operators/All producers 65 and older 19,056 22,071 26,774
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 45,094
Principal producers 60,288
Principal producers 34 and younger 4,034
Principal producers 65 and older 23,186
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 15,194
Principal operators / Primary producers 52,913 50,218 46,418
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 2,363 2,321 2,741
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 15,725 17,450 18,858
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 10,835
Market value of agricultural products sold $10,313,628,000 $12,588,142,000 $12,900,674,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $194,917 $250,670 $277,924
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $29,144,000 $31,826,000 $69,968,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $175,736,000

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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