Tennessee Data and Statistics - FIC

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Tennessee Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Tennessee 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.

On This Page

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

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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.

 


Other Data Sources

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