{"id":2139,"date":"2025-02-12T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/?p=2139"},"modified":"2025-02-11T16:53:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T16:53:19","slug":"a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released 2022 Census of Agriculture data. The graphic presents a fascinating snapshot of the ranching landscape impacting four West Texas counties:<\/span> Tom Green, Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard. <\/b>Using data from the 2017 and 2022 USDA Agricultural Census, we can glean valuable insights into trends and shifts within this vital sector of Texas’s economy and heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In a concerning twist of fragmentation, all four counties saw an increase in the number of ranches from 2017 to 2022. However, this positive trend is accompanied by some interesting nuances. While Tom Green and Menard counties saw both an increase in ranch numbers <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> average ranch size, suggesting potential expansion and consolidation, Schleicher and Crockett counties experienced a decrease in average ranch size despite the overall increase in ranch count. This likely indicates land fragmentation, where existing ranches are being divided and sold off in smaller parcels, or shifts in land use practices. Very interesting considering the rapid expansion of wind and solar development in these counties (see previous blog post here<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While further research would be needed to isolate the specific drivers, it’s no surprise that the average value of land and buildings per acre has increased from 2017 to 2022. This general trend likely reflects both national economic factors and potentially localized influences on land values.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three out of the four counties (Tom Green, Schleicher, and Menard) saw a <\/span>decrease<\/span><\/i> in the number of ranches dedicated to cattle and calves (see David Anderson\u2019s assessment of the 2025 cattle inventory in Texas). This decline in cattle ranches correlates with a decrease in the overall cattle population in Tom Green and Schleicher counties. Tom Green County, notably, experienced a significant drop of over 9,000 head. Similar to cattle, three of the four counties (Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard) saw a decrease in the number of sheep and lamb ranches. Tom Green County stands out as an exception. Despite the general trend of declining sheep ranches in Schleicher, Menard, and Crockett, Tom Green County saw both an increase in sheep and lamb ranches <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> a substantial increase (roughly 3,000 head) in the sheep and lamb population. This suggests a potential specialization or focus on sheep production in Tom Green County.<\/span><\/p>\n

The overall increase in the number of ranches across all counties masks the decline in <\/span>specialized<\/span><\/i> cattle and sheep ranches. This suggests that the new ranches being established may be smaller, more diversified operations, or perhaps focusing on other agricultural activities besides traditional cattle and sheep ranching.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2017 and 2022 USDA Agricultural Census data provides a valuable snapshot of the ranching industry in Tom Green, Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard Counties. By analyzing these figures, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the trends shaping this vital part of West Texas and work towards ensuring its continued prosperity.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, check out the USDA website <\/span>here! <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released 2022 Census of Agriculture data. The graphic presents a fascinating snapshot of the ranching landscape impacting four West Texas counties: Tom Green, Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard. Using data from the 2017 and 2022 USDA Agricultural Census, we can glean valuable insights into trends… Read More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2037,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,158,92,104],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2139","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-beef-cattle","7":"category-land","8":"category-range-concepts","9":"category-sheep","10":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released 2022 Census of Agriculture data. The graphic presents a fascinating snapshot of the ranching landscape impacting four West Texas counties: Tom Green, Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard. Using data from the 2017 and 2022 USDA Agricultural Census, we can glean valuable insights into trends... Read More →\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"West Texas Rangelands\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"4500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"5625\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"jaime.sanford\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"jaime.sanford\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"jaime.sanford\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3\"},\"headline\":\"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":487,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Beef Cattle\",\"Land\",\"Range Concepts\",\"Sheep\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/\",\"name\":\"West Texas Rangelands\",\"description\":\"We hope to provide a variety of science-based rangeland information and current research on prescribed fire, wildfires, brush management, and grazing management!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3\",\"name\":\"jaime.sanford\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"jaime.sanford\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/agrilife.org\\\/westtexasrangelands\\\/author\\\/jaime-sanford\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands","og_description":"The U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released 2022 Census of Agriculture data. The graphic presents a fascinating snapshot of the ranching landscape impacting four West Texas counties: Tom Green, Schleicher, Crockett, and Menard. Using data from the 2017 and 2022 USDA Agricultural Census, we can glean valuable insights into trends... Read More →","og_url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/","og_site_name":"West Texas Rangelands","article_published_time":"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":4500,"height":5625,"url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"jaime.sanford","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"jaime.sanford","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/"},"author":{"name":"jaime.sanford","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/#\/schema\/person\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3"},"headline":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties","datePublished":"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/"},"wordCount":487,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png","articleSection":["Beef Cattle","Land","Range Concepts","Sheep"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/","url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/","name":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties - West Texas Rangelands","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png","datePublished":"2025-02-12T07:00:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/#\/schema\/person\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/files\/2025\/02\/2017-2022-USDA-Census-Data.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/a-comparison-of-the-2017-2022-usda-ag-census-data-for-west-texas-counties\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Comparison of the 2017 & 2022 USDA Ag Census Data for West Texas Counties"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/#website","url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/","name":"West Texas Rangelands","description":"We hope to provide a variety of science-based rangeland information and current research on prescribed fire, wildfires, brush management, and grazing management!","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/#\/schema\/person\/9c2816ab63232983ab3314452202a0a3","name":"jaime.sanford","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/458c5cfc0c19399fb22cb23797dc9739884b4f7a38b18ec43626a84895175194?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"jaime.sanford"},"url":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/author\/jaime-sanford\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2037"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/westtexasrangelands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}