Most rented farmland held by older nonoperating landlords; modest near-term transfers expected

At a National Agricultural Statistics Service briefing, Ryan Combmes presented new demographic and transition findings from the 2024 Tenure, Ownership and Transition survey, highlighting an aging landlord population and limited near-term market transfers.

Combmes said the average age of principal landlords in 2024 is 69.2 years, up from 66.5 in 2014, and that more than 35% of principal landlords are age 75 or older. "In 2024, the average age of principal landlords is 69.2 years old, which has increased from 66.5 years old in 2014," he reported.

The survey included new questions about co-owners and ownership categories; among entities reporting multiple owners, 60% indicated that co-owners were married. Combmes also reported that 52% of principal landlords have never worked as farmers and that female owners represented almost 40% of landlords while male landlords accounted for about 60% of owners and 81% of reported debt.

On transfer expectations, Combmes said less than 7% of owned acres are anticipated to be sold or gifted across all regions in the next five years. He gave totals: roughly 43 million acres (about 5% of all farmland) are expected to change hands in the next five years, with an estimated 23 million acres to be sold to non-relatives and about 20 million to be sold or transferred to relatives or as gifts; another 227 million acres are reported as written into wills or trusts and may transfer later.

Why it matters: the concentration of ownership among older, mostly nonoperating landlords and the volume of acreage tied up in wills or trusts have implications for future land availability, succession planning and programs that support farm entry. The briefing did not propose policy changes; it is a release of survey findings.

The presenter closed with a recap and a reference to QuickStats and the survey page for detailed tables and methodology.