Loss of Agricultural Land

A survey by the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows that every state in the United States lost agricultural land between 1982 and 2007. In all, more than 23 million acres moved from farming use to commercial or residential development during this period.  Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina lost the most total acreage. By percent of land, top losses occurred in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, and New Hampshire. These states lost between 13% and 27% of their land to development. A hopeful note: rate of loss of agricultural land slowed during this 25-year period, though the housing market had several upswings.