Farm and Farmland Trends

Sources:
Office of Financial Management
U.S. Bureau of the Census

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FARM AND FARMLAND TRENDS
	Year of Census
	1974	1978¹	1982	1987	1992	1997	1997²	2002
Total Farmland (Acres)	16,661,902	16,721,836	16,469,678	16,115,568	15,726,007	15,179,710	15,778,606	15,318,008
By Farm Size:
Under 10 Acres	15,642	19,009	30,403	27,906	25,187	24,438	43,375	36,071
10-49 Acres	221,077	245,424	299,868	269,450	241,900	232,038	339,768	303,919
50-179 Acres	755,448	739,449	759,621	705,312	636,924	608,900	736,538	694,722
180-499 Acres	1,286,882	1,245,819	1,214,168	1,133,206	1,002,757	940,391	1,057,335	1,029,428
500-999 Acres	1,473,795	1,420,442	1,377,913	1,313,326	1,205,247	1,144,266	1,247,908	1,159,943
1,000-1,999 Acres	2,400,730	2,348,338	2,177,096	2,285,965	2,043,173	2,025,005	2,108,349	1,910,378
2,000+ Acres	10,508,328	10,703,355	10,610,609	10,380,403	10,570,819	10,204,672	10,245,333	10,183,547
Average Size of Farms	567	540	456	480	520	523	393	426
Total Number of Farms	29,410	30,987	36,080	33,559	30,264	29,011	40,113	35,939
By Farm Size:
Under 10 Acres	3,330	4,161	6,425	6,040	5,408	5,195	9,208	7,482
10-49 Acres	8,739	9,896	12,717	11,362	10,115	9,727	14,791	13,187
50-179 Acres	7,626	7,433	7,755	7,216	6,536	6,250	7,646	7,223
180-499 Acres	4,287	4,136	4,038	3,796	3,336	3,138	3,536	3,439
500-999 Acres	2,051	2,000	1,927	1,855	1,699	1,618	1,770	1,635
1,000-1,999 Acres	1,720	1,673	1,548	1,626	1,461	1,436	1,502	1,364
2,000+ Acres	1,657	1,688	1,670	1,664	1,709	1,647	1,660	1,609

¹Census procedures and methodology were changed for the 1982 Census of Agriculture. The 1978 data were adjusted to provide data comparable with 1982 census results.
²Census procedures and methodology were changed for the 2002 Census of Agriculture. The 1997 data were adjusted to provide data comparable with 2002 census results. See http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census_of_Agriculture/.