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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 | 26,970,000 |
Agricultural land in 2016 | 12,299,200 |
Cropland in 2016 | 4,536,000 |
Pastureland in 2016 | 4,070,700 |
Rangeland in 2016 | 0 |
Woodland in 2016 | 3,692,500 |
Agricultural land in 2001 | 12,906,900 |
High-quality Agricultural Land
Data Item | Acres |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 | 4,455,900 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 | 4,601,300 |
Best agricultural land in 2016 | 6,403,800 |
Best agricultural land in 2001 | 6,527,800 |
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 | 659,000 |
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) | 148,100 |
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) | 510,900 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised | 211,500 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD | 61,700 |
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR | 149,900 |
Best agricultural land developed or compromised | 272,700 |
Best agricultural land converted to UHD | 63,800 |
Best agricultural land converted to LDR | 208,900 |
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) | 101,300 | 89,500 | 40,000 | 778,700 |
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 9,798,300 | 9,526,300 | 9,292,800 | 10,751,500 |
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) | 4,260,700 | 4,182,600 | 4,090,300 | 4,570,800 |
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) | 92,800 | 107,100 | 54,500 | 664,900 |
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) | 7,600 | 7,400 | 7,100 | 43,800 |
Total surface area (acres) | 26,973,600 | 26,973,600 | 26,973,600 | 26,973,600 |
Census of Agriculture
Data Item | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 |
Farms | 79,280 | 68,050 | 69,983 |
Land in Farms (acres) | 10,969,798 | 10,867,812 | 10,874,238 |
Cropland (acres) | 6,047,348 | 5,329,692 | 5,286,321 |
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) | 2,545,047 | 2,915,268 | 2,633,066 |
Woodland (acres) | 2,042,868 | 2,303,156 | 2,473,436 |
Land in Buildings (acres) | 334,535 | 319,696 | 481,415 |
Total Land Area (acres) | 26,970,044 | 26,970,044 | 26,970,044 |
All operators/All producers | 117,044 | 101,603 | 114,285 |
All operators/All producers 34 and younger | 8,547 | 6,786 | 8,215 |
All operators/All producers 65 and older | 30,593 | 31,019 | 40,527 |
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 69,281 |
Principal producers | — | — | 92,460 |
Principal producers 34 and younger | — | — | 5,961 |
Principal producers 65 and older | — | — | 35,157 |
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 23,179 |
Principal operators / Primary producers | 79,280 | 68,050 | 69,983 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger | 3,447 | 2,823 | 3,887 |
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older | 25,195 | 24,561 | 28,451 |
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm | — | — | 16,311 |
Market value of agricultural products sold | $2,617,394,000 | $3,611,037,000 | $3,798,934,000 |
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation | $33,015 | $53,064 | $54,284 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers | $15,380,000 | $19,182,000 | $34,844,000 |
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products | — | — | $30,163,000 |
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