Fun with facts!!!

[Larry Gude]

US LAND MASS

In 1945 about 16 million acres of the US were considered 'urban' areas, places with more than 2,500 people. However a 'place' was defined, a town, a county or whatever, the total was still about 16,000,000 acres.

An acre is about 44,000 square feet or roughly the size of a football field if you exclude both end zones. So, when I say Mark Brunell should be put out to pasture, maybe he is and maybe I need to be more specific. I digress.

Anyway, as of 1997 'urban' land grew to about 65,000,000 acres, a four fold increase.

Cropland in the same time period increased slightly and is around 455,000,000 acres, or, about 7 times that of urban areas.

What would you have guessed?

Forests increased slightly as well to 642,000,000 acres or nearly 10 times that of urban areas.

Again, what would you have guessed?

Last guess; What is total US land area?

2,260,000,000 acres. Over 2.2 BILLION acres.

Urban areas make up less than 3% of US land area.

So, we have 65 mil plus 455, plus 642 accounted for meaning there is around 1.1 billion acres that has less than 2,500 people in a given place but more than a field or a forest.

Half the US doesn't have any people, statistically.

Dense areas, 'urban' areas, make up less than 3%.

About half, you have some neighbors.


These and other fun facts brought to you by Robert Samuelson who is brought to us by the Wash Post.

Samuelson got this stuff from the soon to be released:

"Historical Statistics of the United States"

This is the first new edition since 1975.

You can get your copy for about $900.



My point, if there is one, is that in the coming months we should see a flood of numbers thrown at us from all over.

I can't wait. FACTS!!!

 

[desertrat]

Interesting. I wasn't suprised by the forested areas, since it used to be clear cut all the way, but I always assumed we were losing agricultural area.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Interesting. I wasn't suprised by the forested areas, since it used to be clear cut all the way, but I always assumed we were losing agricultural area.

I wonder what the number of acres of agricultural land is farmed by independent family farmers and what is farmed by big corporations. I bet those numbers have changed drastically.

 

[Larry Gude]

No bet there...

I wonder what the number of acres of agricultural land is farmed by independent family farmers and what is farmed by big corporations. I bet those numbers have changed drastically.

...if I remember correctly, we're down to 250,000 or so small farms, down from several million.

With a few more total acres.

Drastic is the right word.

 

[desertrat]

I wonder what the number of acres of agricultural land is farmed by independent family farmers and what is farmed by big corporations. I bet those numbers have changed drastically.

In Arizona there is a large spread called the White Wing Ranch. Takes about 30 minutes to drive past it on I-8. Has its own train stop too. Mostly grows cotton last I saw.

 

[bcp]

so, where do all these numbers leave me with my 5 acres?

Im actually starting to feel crowded in.

 

[SamSpade]

As many of you know, I work at the Census, where a lot of this data comes from, and the prior publisher of this book. In reference to what 2A asked - I used to work a few years on the Agricultural Census (until a short time after they started doing it in the Agriculture Dept).

I was constantly *amazed* at the powerhouse of agricultural products that arose from a tiny little county in, of all places - Pennsylvania.

Lancaster County.

*Amish*.

Yep. Small farms. They work the *hell* out of the little bit of acreage they use. Some of their numbers exceed the yearly output of several *states*.

 

[fttrsbeerwench]

Wow! That's actually some really interesting info. Good Post!
That makes me feel some what relieved aboout the situation of the undeveloped land in the country.
I just wish that smaller farms weren't such an endangered domain.