Virginia Data and Statistics - FIC

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Virginia Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Virginia 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 25,929,900
Agricultural land in 2016 8,184,600
Cropland in 2016 3,048,300
Pastureland in 2016 2,324,300
Rangeland  in 2016 0
Woodland in 2016 2,812,000
Agricultural land in 2001 8,597,900

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 3,266,000
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 3,314,700
Best agricultural land in 2016 4,095,300
Best agricultural land in 2001 4,187,800

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 339,800
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 67,000
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 272,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 119,600
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 24,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 95,400
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 146,400
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 22,000
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 124,300

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agrcultural land converted to developed land (acres) 74,800 59,100 39,600 497,300
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 6,056,600 5,929,700 5,803,900 6,756,500
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 1,989,900 1,960,800 1,920,900 2,204,600
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 177,600 129,600 74,400 828,800
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 5,200 7,100 2,100 25,000
Total surface area (acres) 27,087,100 27,087,100 27,087,100 27,087,100

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 47,383 46,030 43,225
Land in Farms (acres) 8,103,925 8,302,444 7,797,979
Cropland (acres) 3,274,137 2,990,561 3,084,067
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 2,150,933 2,435,064 2,063,507
Woodland (acres) 2,319,491 2,465,061 2,212,540
Land in Buildings (acres) 359,364 411,758 437,865
Total Land Area (acres) 25,929,920 25,929,920 25,929,920
All operators/All producers 71,281 69,990 71,339
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 5,025 5,081 5,430
All operators/All producers 65 and older 18,777 21,202 26,014
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 43,183
Principal producers 57,204
Principal producers 34 and younger 3,675
Principal producers 65 and older 22,631
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 14,021
Principal operators / Primary producers 47,383 46,030 43,225
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 1,966 2,081 2,422
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 15,273 16,497 18,215
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 9,917
Market value of agricultural products sold $2,906,188,000 $3,753,287,000 $3,960,501,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $61,334 $81,540 $91,625
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $28,878,000 $41,728,000 $101,660,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $100,553,000

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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