Welcome to the South 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 | 49,356,700 |
| Agricultural land in 2016 | 41,468,300 |
| Cropland in 2016 | 17,085,200 |
| Pastureland in 2016 | 2,312,100 |
| Rangeland in 2016 | 22,015,000 |
| Woodland in 2016 | 56,000 |
| Agricultural land in 2001 | 41,020,600 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
| Data Item | Acres |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 14,448,300 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 14,295,500 |
| Best agricultural land in 2016 | 20,559,600 |
| Best agricultural land in 2001 | 20,294,200 |
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 | 89,100 |
| Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 22,900 |
| Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 66,100 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 26,700 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 11,500 |
| Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 15,100 |
| Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 32,100 |
| Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 8,400 |
| Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 23,700 |
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) | 21,900 | 17,100 | 7,200 | 153,000 |
| Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 42,761,800 | 42,735,400 | 42,681,500 | 42,977,000 |
| Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 6,354,800 | 6,356,700 | 6,332,900 | 6,433,800 |
| Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 5,000 | 2,300 | NA | 18,300 |
| Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | NA | NA | NA | 4,600 |
| Total surface area (acres) | 49,358,000 | 49,358,000 | 49,358,000 | 49,358,000 |
Census of Agriculture
| Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
| Farms | 31,169 | 31,989 | 29,968 |
| Land in Farms (acres) | 43,666,403 | 43,257,079 | 43,243,742 |
| Cropland (acres) | 19,094,311 | 19,147,320 | 19,813,517 |
| Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 23,025,539 | 22,545,069 | 21,997,620 |
| Woodland (acres) | 258,973 | 294,445 | 284,905 |
| Land in Buildings (acres) | 1,287,580 | 1,270,245 | 1,147,700 |
| Total Land Area (acres) | 49,356,666 | 49,356,666 | 49,356,666 |
| All operators/All producers | 46,710 | 48,987 | 49,547 |
| All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 4,639 | 5,365 | 5,171 |
| All operators/All producers 65 and older | 10,398 | 11,187 | 14,996 |
| All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 31,826 |
| Principal producers | — | — | 39,136 |
| Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 3,808 |
| Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 12,799 |
| Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 7,310 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers | 31,169 | 31,989 | 29,968 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 2,355 | 2,889 | 2,732 |
| Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 8,234 | 8,551 | 10,187 |
| Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 5,232 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold | $6,570,450,000 | $10,170,227,000 | $9,721,522,000 |
| Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $210,801 | $317,929 | $324,397 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $6,158,000 | $4,349,000 | $3,354,000 |
| Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $6,652,000 |
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