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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 | 44,734,100 |
Agricultural land in 2016 | 32,463,200 |
Cropland in 2016 | 8,760,900 |
Pastureland in 2016 | 8,553,700 |
Rangeland in 2016 | 13,132,900 |
Woodland in 2016 | 2,015,800 |
Agricultural land in 2001 | 32,513,600 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
Data Item | Acres |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 15,218,800 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 15,353,800 |
Best agricultural land in 2016 | 16,394,300 |
Best agricultural land in 2001 | 16,507,200 |
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 | 273,300 |
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 94,800 |
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 178,500 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 142,300 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 52,200 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 90,200 |
Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 135,900 |
Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 40,000 |
Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 95,900 |
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) | 123,300 | 92,400 | 79,800 | 554,500 |
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 32,702,900 | 32,402,400 | 32,193,500 | 33,549,300 |
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 12,906,500 | 12,802,400 | 12,734,500 | 13,165,800 |
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 42,000 | 36,500 | 31,900 | 152,400 |
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 2,300 | 4,200 | 4,300 | 13,600 |
Total surface area (acres) | 44,738,100 | 44,738,100 | 44,738,100 | 44,738,100 |
Census of Agriculture
Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
Farms | 86,565 | 80,245 | 78,531 |
Land in Farms (acres) | 35,087,269 | 34,356,110 | 34,156,290 |
Cropland (acres) | 13,007,625 | 11,279,031 | 11,715,717 |
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 18,713,085 | 19,451,870 | 19,261,421 |
Woodland (acres) | 2,468,152 | 2,599,384 | 2,469,604 |
Land in Buildings (acres) | 898,407 | 1,025,825 | 709,548 |
Total Land Area (acres) | 44,734,135 | 44,734,135 | 44,734,135 |
All operators/All producers | 131,232 | 121,603 | 130,434 |
All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 11,707 | 10,783 | 11,965 |
All operators/All producers 65 and older | 36,159 | 36,684 | 43,673 |
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 76,598 |
Principal producers | — | — | 106,276 |
Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 9,444 |
Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 38,117 |
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 29,678 |
Principal operators / Primary producers | 86,565 | 80,245 | 78,531 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 5,614 | 5,425 | 6,271 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 28,686 | 28,247 | 29,875 |
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 20,752 |
Market value of agricultural products sold | $5,806,061,000 | $7,129,584,000 | $7,465,512,000 |
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $67,072 | $88,848 | $95,065 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $11,534,000 | $7,640,000 | $9,929,000 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $5,267,000 |
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