Texas Data and Statistics - FIC

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Texas Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Texas 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 169,424,900
Agricultural land in 2016 131,775,200
Cropland in 2016 22,804,800
Pastureland in 2016 17,765,000
Rangeland  in 2016 88,815,800
Woodland in 2016 2,389,600
Agricultural land in 2001 132,582,500

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 33,398,300
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 34,115,300
Best agricultural land in 2016 65,250,300
Best agricultural land in 2001 65,519,000

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 1,373,300
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 692,300
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 681,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 554,600
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 303,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 251,500
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 860,800
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 397,700
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 463,200

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2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 591,000 543,200 332,100 3,027,800
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 140,865,300 139,990,300 138,912,300 144,730,000
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 33,004,800 32,603,900 32,159,400 34,030,300
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 232,900 192,900 108,000 671,600
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 11,100 17,700 15,300 108,200
Total surface area (acres) 171,051,900 171,051,900 171,051,900 171,051,900

 


Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 247,437 248,809 248,416
Land in Farms (acres) 130,398,753 130,153,438 127,036,184
Cropland (acres) 33,667,177 29,147,537 29,360,229
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 87,217,416 90,287,767 87,913,721
Woodland (acres) 7,099,790 7,951,154 7,277,187
Land in Buildings (acres) 2,414,370 2,766,980 2,485,047
Total Land Area (acres) 169,424,921 169,424,921 169,424,921
All operators/All producers 372,563 375,888 412,575
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 23,221 22,332 24,755
All operators/All producers 65 and older 108,251 123,992 154,909
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 243,254
Principal producers 334,463
Principal producers 34 and younger 18,290
Principal producers 65 and older 134,510
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 91,209
Principal operators / Primary producers 247,437 248,809 248,416
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 10,160 10,091 11,938
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 86,323 95,843 105,912
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 63,842
Market value of agricultural products sold $21,001,074,000 $25,375,581,000 $24,924,041,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $84,874 $101,988 $100,332
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $38,696,000 $27,966,000 $45,584,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $221,465,000

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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