Most rented farmland in the United States owned by people outside agriculture

Sep 01, 2015

As much as 80% of rented land is owned by non-farmers

The 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey shows that of the 353.8 million rented acres of farmland in the United States, nearly 80% (or about 282,400,000 acres) of it is owned by people or entities outside of the agricultural sector.

Results

“Farmland has always been a valuable resource, but what we see in the most recent TOTAL results is the emergence of farmland as a future investment,” said Joseph T. Reilly, NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service) Administrator. “More families are creating trust ownerships to make sure land remains in their family for farming or as an investment.”

According to the survey, which was released by NASS, the rented farmland acres and buildings on the land are valued at more than $1.1 trillion. 2.1 million landlords combined to receive $31.2 billion in rental income compared to $9.2 billion in expenses.

The survey also detailed the demographics of who exactly owns the farmland. TOTAL found that the average landlord was about 66 years old, compared to the average farmer, who is 58 years old. TOTAL also found that nearly 45% of the landlords had never operated a farm.

TOTAL Highlights

The top five states in terms of rent received are:
1. Illinois ($3.8 billion)
2. Iowa ($3.7 billion)
3. Nebraska ($2.4 billion)
4. Minnesota ($2.0 billion)
5. Texas ($2.0 billion)

The Midwest accounts for $3.7 billion in landlord expenses
16% of farmland was purchased from a relative
35% of farmland was inherited or received as a gift

Join the conversation and tell us your thoughts on the recent TOTAL survey.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.