Pennsylvania Data and Statistics - FIC

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Pennsylvania Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Pennsylvania 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 28,994,000
Agricultural land in 2016 9,034,700
Cropland in 2016 4,907,100
Pastureland in 2016 1,841,900
Rangeland  in 2016 0
 

Woodland in 2016

2,285,700
Agricultural land in 2001 9,169,200

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 4,724,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 4,801,000
Best agricultural land in 2016 4,688,500
Best agricultural land in 2001 4,729,100

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 346,800
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 102,600
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 244,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 186,600
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 53,600
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 133,100
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 176,300
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 45,700
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 130,600

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 109,500 79,300 34,900 760,000
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 7,456,900 7,222,500 7,049,200 8,528,000
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 2,303,200 2,231,900 2,175,400 2,550,700
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 139,400 86,600 56,800 866,600
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 6,900 6,900 2,200 41,000
Total surface area (acres) 28,995,200 28,995,200 28,995,200 28,995,200

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 63,163 59,309 53,157
Land in Farms (acres) 7,809,244 7,704,444 7,278,668
Cropland (acres) 4,870,287 4,546,052 4,651,210
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 732,275 814,210 706,136
Woodland (acres) 1,717,791 1,804,157 1,487,550
Land in Buildings (acres) 488,891 540,025 433,772
Total Land Area (acres) 28,993,963 28,993,963 28,993,963
All operators/All producers 94,500 92,341 91,830
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 11,064 11,158 11,495
All operators/All producers 65 and older 20,103 21,632 25,928
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 54,741
Principal producers 70,531
Principal producers 34 and younger 7,513
Principal producers 65 and older 22,124
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 15,790
Principal operators / Primary producers 63,163 59,309 53,157
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 5,078 4,909 5,217
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 16,348 16,725 17,509
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 11,229
Market value of agricultural products sold $5,808,803,000 $7,400,781,000 $7,758,884,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $91,965 $124,783 $145,962
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $75,893,000 $86,030,000 $173,802,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $280,014,000

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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