Land Use in the United States

Below is one of the several very informative and useful images reported by Bloomberg article, “Here’s How America Uses Its Land.” Each image is accompanied by a short description.

This is a completely fascinating article which shows not only aggregate distribution but also trends.  The data is from the USDA, and it is based upon 2017 reporting.

The fastest growing land use is Urban, by 1 M acres per year.

Note:  A lot of people are critical of land “wasted” for pasturage; however, they fail to recognize that a vast majority of that pasture land is not suitable for other agriculture, commercial, or residential development.  Most private land is at it’s “highest and best use,” which is a principal of a capitalist economy.

Be sure you read the article in its entirety – there is a lot to learn.