LT Changing Land
LT Changing Land
LT Changing Land
September 2017
Texas landowner
changes and trends
Texas Land Trends | September 2017
Texas landowner
changes and trends
PUBLISHED BY About the Data
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
The goal of the Texas Landowner Changes and
INTRODUCTION
CONTRIBUTORS Trends report is to describe the state’s growing
Alison Lund population and changing rural landowners (also
Addie Smith
Angelica Lopez referred to as operators in this report). Through
Roel Lopez incorporation of several datasets, we developed a
framework for evaluating landowner demograph- Texas is changing. Rural working lands in Texas are selling, subdividing, and converting to alternative
DESIGNER
Alison Lund ics among privately owned, rural working lands land uses at an unprecedented rate. Rapid population growth across the state continues to influence
in Texas. This report considers racial and ethnic land fragmentation and land use changes, impacting rural working lands and the natural resources
EDITORS
James Cathey demographic datasets to better understand Texas’ they provide. Landowner factors such as age, land residency, and land-use preferences influence
Leslie Lee population and rural landowners, and follows the management decisions on rural working lands. Public benefits derived from these lands, such as clean
Kathy Wythe
Census of Agriculture’s racial classifications (i.e., air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, ecosystem services, and recreation, are needed but are limited
EXTERNAL REVIEWERS African-American, Hispanic, White, and Other by a shrinking open space land mass. Understanding Texas’ changing population and land manage-
Justin Dreibelbis [including Asian, Multi-Race, American Indian or ment needs can help inform land development planning, education, and policies geared toward sus-
James Oliver
Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific taining the states’ rich open spaces and natural resources for generations to come.
Photo credits: Carol M. Highsmith, Islander]).
Library of Congress; Mike Robinson
URBAN GROWTH
should be expected over the next 40 years,
and could potentially double by 2050 (Fig-
Figure 1. Total population increase by county (1997–2012)
ure 2).
The movement and distribution of people on the landscape has impacted land use and ownership
patterns across the state. Texas Land Trends data suggests increases in population density in urban
centers may influence private, rural ownerships and subsequent changes to current land uses in
1.0 Migration Scenario—population growth with a migration rate Texas due to the increased needs for development, resulting in urban sprawl outside city limits. State
equal to growth patterns observed from 2000–2010
migration scenarios predict the fastest growth from 2010 to 2050 will occur in the suburban ring
41M
Zero Migration Scenario—population similar trends with development around urban outskirts.
TEXAS TRIANGLE
growth with zero migration
Texas Land Trends demographic data highlights a statewide increase in average operator age, a 4-year
increase since 1997 (Figures 4 and 5). Over the next decade, Texas will experience the largest intergener-
ational land transfer and potential change in land use to date. Aging rural landowners in Texas will soon
transfer working lands to younger generations and first-time landowners. There new landowners may have
less experience or connection with the land, lack basic knowledge of agricultural operations and manage-
ment, or lack the financial capital to maintain the land once inherited.
2007 2012
35-44 YEARS: 8%
55-64 YEARS: 28%
59 YEARS 60 YEARS
25-34 YEARS: 4%
Average Age
<1% 39%
50-54
55-59
60-64
<25 YRS OLD >65 YRS OLD 65
Figure 4. Percent of operators by age group (2012) Figure 5. Average age of operators by county (1997–2012) Texas Land Trends 2017 3
WOMEN & MEN s) e
While men still make up the
e al
cr
<25 YEARS: <1%
>65 YEARS: 43%
M
majority of landowners in Texas 25-34 YEARS: 3%
(a ed of to
(85% of operations in 2012), the
S i z e
r a t
a tio ale ors
presence of women as primary 35-44 YEARS: 7%
n s age n p e R m rat
operators and the number of acres tio ver rati o
s O Fe pe
a
r A e re O
e p c
2012 Op
they manage have increased since
1997 (Figure 6). This gain could be
attributed to unexpected changes
1997 O A
MALE
PERCENT OF 45-54 YEARS: 20% 202,463 593 120,057,426
in ownership, such as the death of
FEMALE OPERATORS
a spouse. In 2012, the average age
of female operators in Texas was
FEMALE 25,710 398 10,244,051
63 years old, slightly higher than
the overall average landowner
BY AGE GROUP
age (60 years old). As landown-
ers across Texas age, continued
2012
changes in land ownership and MALE 210,357 544 114,343,873
55-64 YEARS: 27%
operators are likely to continue to
shift. FEMALE 38,452 307 11,809,537
FEMALE OPERATIONS
1997 2002 2007 2012
Operations
No data
<50 150-200
50-100 200-250
100-150 >250
Figure 6. Number of female operations by county (1997–2012) Texas Land Trends 2017 4
RACE & ETHNICITY White
2007
236,568
2012
235,449
The number of operations reported by the USDA’s NASS Census of Agriculture Hispanic 20,351 23,689
demographic dataset reveals minor changes in Texas’ landowner base since African-American 6,124 8,551
2012
2007, the first reporting year of this data. Statewide data indicates increasing
Other 4,686 4,782
trends in both African-American and Hispanic-owned operations and acres
over the 5-year period from 2007 to 2012. Future population increases may
contribute to continued upward trends in minority landowner groups in future
272,471 NUMBER OF OPERATIONS
years. According to state population projections, the Hispanic population, for total operations
example, made up 38% of the state’s population in 2010 and will likely surpass
all other ethnicities and make up 53% of the entire population by 2050
(Figure 7).
White African-American
Hispanic Other
Population (millions)
2012
120,949,632
total acres
2007 2012
White 104,554,595 112,741,530
Hispanic 5,142,720 6,612,971
White African-American African-American 561,693 900,870
Hispanic Other Other 733,251 694,266
Figure 7. Texas projected population increase by race/ethnicity (2010–2050), 0.5 Migration Scenario NUMBER OF ACRES OPERATED Texas Land Trends 2017 5
ABSENTEE OR RESIDENT
TRENDS(1997- 2012)
Texas Land Trends data reveals
an important trend in the con-
centration and rise of resident
248,809
As Texas’ working lands undergo shifts in owner- landowners and small-acreage
ship and management, an important variable comes operations (<100 acres in size).
The number of resident land-
SMALL-ACREAGE
to light—landowner residence. Absentee landown-
ers, or those who own the land but do not live on it, owners and small-acreage farms OPERATIONS
OWNERSHIPS
are often perceived to live primarily in urban areas both appear to increase together,
and use their rural lands solely for recreational or indicating a possible connection
financial purposes. During the 1997 to 2012 period,
absentee ownership remained relatively consistent,
in 2012 between fragmentation of work-
ing lands and residency of Texas
fluctuating within a range of about 5,000 operators rural landowners (Figures 9 and
10).
69%
across the state, suggesting a minimal turnover of
RESIDENT
ownership in this category (Figure 8). Conversely,
statewide data highlights a substantial gain of
2012
about 40,000 new resident landowners, or those
who own and reside on the land, during this same
period (Figure 8). Intergenerational land transfers, RESIDENT
LANDOWNERS
paired with rising land market values and expand-
ing urban centers, all lend themselves to an overall
increase in the number of new operators, particu- ABSENTEE 31%
larly in areas in close proximity to urban centers.
170
Ownerships (thousands)
150
130 Resident
Absentee
110 Total Increase
Decrease
1-50
90 50-100
100-150
150-500
70 >500
1997 2002 2007 2012
(Top) Figure 9. Total change in small acreage operations (<100 acres) by county (1997–2012)
Figure 8. Total change in resident and absentee land ownership (1997–2012) (Bottom) Figure 10. Total change in resident landowners by county (1997–2012) Texas Land Trends 2017 6
LAND OWNERSHIP
Statewide ownership data indicates the majority of landowners (approximately 84%) hold small oper-
ations (<500 acres in size). Small ownerships in Texas experienced the greatest rise in individual own-
LANDOWNER PERSPECTIVE
erships with a net increase of about 24,000 farms and ranches from 1997 to 2012. According to Texas Population and demographic changes greatly influence Texas’ working lands, as private landowners,
Land Trends data, there appears to be an important connection between land ownership size and the who own the majority of land in the state, are ultimately responsible for the stewardship of work-
profitability of a farm or ranch operation. As property size decreases, the ability to operate the land as ing lands. The states’ people, places, and perspectives change over time, innovative educational and
a primary source of income for traditional farming, ranching, and forestry uses also decreases (Figure financial options for landowners are needed to support and promote working land conservation and
11). As a result, landowners with smaller tracts may be less able to use their land to its fullest poten- management.
tial as a means of primary income, solely because of its small size. This does not diminish the value of
rural lands as an income source for landowners but instead suggests the need for multiple streams of
income. Operational challenges associated with smaller property sizes often facilitate the transition of
TX LANDOWNER SNAPSHOT
2012 USDA Census of Agriculture Data
land from one use to another (e.g., farm to residential development, etc.), thus creating potential loss
42%
of working lands and natural resource services. Primary operator
B IL I T Y 56% 85%
IT A 65,547 depend on the
44% 15%
operation as
O F their primary
R
are new to occupation
P ag operations
% 37%
(<10 years on current operation)
REFERENCES
Ethnicity–the concept of social grouping with common national or cultural traditions or at the parcel level in south-central Indiana, 1928–1997. Landscape and Urban
heritage. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race. Planning 84:230-240.
Ownership fragmentation–the break-up of large farms, ranches, and forests into smaller
Potter, L. B., and N. Hoque. 2014. Texas population projections, 2010 to 2050. Texas
ownership sizes.
Demographic Center, Austin, Texas, USA.
Principal operator–the person primarily responsible for the on-site, day-to-day operation
of the farm or ranch business. This person may be a hired manager or business manager. See Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. 2014. Texas Land Trends: Status
Operators for further explanation. update and trends of Texas rural working lands. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Race–according to the Census of Agriculture (2012), race (of operator) is defined as Afri- Service.
can-American, Hispanic, White, and Other (including Asian, Multi-Race, American Indian or
Alaska native, and native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander). Valencia, L., L. Potter, S. Robinson, B. Pecotte, S. White, and H. You. 2016. Aging in Texas:
Resident landowner–landowners who live and reside on their land. Introduction. Texas Demographic Center, Austin, Texas, USA.