West Virginia Data and Statistics - FIC

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West Virginia Data and Statistics

Welcome to the West 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 15,507,500
Agricultural land in 2016 2,819,700
Cropland in 2016 539,500
Pastureland in 2016 963,500
Rangeland  in 2016 0
Woodland in 2016 1,316,700
Agricultural land in 2001 2,685,100

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 583,900
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 591,000
Best agricultural land in 2016 1,381,400
Best agricultural land in 2001 1,323,100

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 89,300
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 14,100
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 75,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 23,100
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 3,800
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 19,300
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 49,600
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 5,100
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 44,500

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 29,900 18,400 8,300 174,100
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 2,371,200 2,282,000 2,200,300 2,964,300
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 371,000 362,00 350,900 414,100
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 89,000 35,700 27,000 356,100
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 2,300 1,500 NA 11,700
Total surface area (acres) 15,508,200 15,508,200 15,508,200 15,508,200

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 23,618 21,489 23,622
Land in Farms (acres) 3,697,606 3,606,674 3,662,178
Cropland (acres) 942,132 804,006 947,710
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 1,105,292 1,138,037 1,016,457
Woodland (acres) 1,461,714 1,465,010 1,460,507
Land in Buildings (acres) 188,468 199,621 237,504
Total Land Area (acres) 15,507,483 15,507,483 15,507,483
All operators/All producers 34,720 32,178 38,409
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 2,521 2,242 3,215
All operators/All producers 65 and older 9,223 10,093 13,333
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 21,865
Principal producers 30,757
Principal producers 34 and younger 2,423
Principal producers 65 and older 11,562
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 8,892
Principal operators / Primary producers 23,618 21,489 23,622
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 1,001 894 1,599
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 7,605 8,064 9,522
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 6,472
Market value of agricultural products sold $591,665,000 $806,775,000 $754,279,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $25,051 $37,544 $31,931
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $7,097,000 $10,950,000 $11,199,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $2,609,000

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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