Welcome to the North Dakota 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 | 45,243,300 |
| Agricultural land in 2016 | 36,870,300 |
| Cropland in 2016 | 23,976,700 |
| Pastureland in 2016 | 2,360,500 |
| Rangeland in 2016 | 10,426,400 |
| Woodland in 2016 | 106,800 |
| Agricultural land in 2001 | 35,081,500 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
| Data Item | Acres |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 19,490,500 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 19,054,500 |
| Best agricultural land in 2016 | 17,963,000 |
| Best agricultural land in 2001 | 17,580,000 |
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 | 106,400 |
| Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 61,100 |
| Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 45,300 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 43,000 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 23,500 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 19,500 |
| Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 21,300 |
| Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 3,700 |
| Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 17,600 |
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 devleoped land (acres) | 19,100 | 13,400 | 44,500 | 134,700 |
| Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 39,536,700 | 39,483,600 | 39,418,400 | 39,762,200 |
| Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 11,296,700 | 11,289,800 | 11,262,300 | 11,373,200 |
| Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | NA | NA | 4,700 |
| Othe rrural land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | NA | NA | 2,800 |
| Total surface area (acres) | 45,250,700 | 45,250,700 | 45,250,700 | 45,250,700 |
Census of Agriculture
| Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Farms | 31,970 | 30,961 | 26,364 |
| Land in Farms (acres) | 39,674,586 | 39,262,613 | 39,341,591 |
| Cropland (acres) | 27,527,180 | 27,147,240 | 27,951,676 |
| Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 10,418,885 | 10,247,184 | 9,871,762 |
| Woodland (acres) | 233,883 | 271,799 | 202,789 |
| Land in Buildings (acres) | 1,494,638 | 1,596,390 | 1,315,364 |
| Total Land Area (acres) | 45,243,272 | 45,243,272 | 45,243,272 |
| All operators/All producers | 45,114 | 45,015 | 42,523 |
| All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 4,272 | 4,756 | 4,644 |
| All operators/All producers 65 and older | 11,161 | 11,721 | 12,411 |
| All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 27,953 |
| Principal producers | — | — | 34,411 |
| Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 3,758 |
| Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 10,750 |
| Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 6,458 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers | 31,970 | 30,961 | 26,364 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 2,415 | 2,762 | 2,613 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 9,237 | 9,398 | 8,729 |
| Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 4,603 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold | $6,084,218,000 | $10,950,680,000 | $8,234,102,000 |
| Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $190,310 | $353,693 | $312,324 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $2,429,000 | $1,936,000 | $3,331,000 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $18,739,000 |
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