Agriculture products are a major export for the United States, but some states reap more from the industry than others.
Rural, Midwestern regions have better land for farming than states with more desert, mountains or urban areas. But while more undeveloped or green-filled space might seem to suggest more environmentally friendly land, the country’s carbon emissions tell a different story. (For an interactive version of map above, click here.)
People living in farm-friendly states tend to have higher carbon emissions – larger carbon footprints – than people in states with more developed land. While this is due to multiple factors, including less energy-efficient infrastructure, one source of the trend is found in state driving habits.
Rural states with more undeveloped land and farms often have less population density and are more sprawled. This leads to fewer transportation options, longer distances between locations and ultimately more driving.
The data below reflects seven states with the lowest population density, excluding Alaska, and the seven states with the highest population density, next to their respective average annual miles.
