The Carolinas’ landscapes are defined by forests, farms, and communities that shape the region’s culture, economy, and environment. While working lands and natural areas remain dominant, the states face growing challenges from rapid residential and urban development. At the same time, renewable energy projects—particularly solar—are emerging as an alternative land use that can support rural economies without permanently removing land from agricultural or natural production. This fact sheet examines the breakdown of land use in the Carolinas and what we can expect to see in the coming decades.
North Carolina Land Use
North Carolina’s landscape is overwhelmingly forested, with about 18.7 million acres—roughly 61 percent of the state’s land area—covered by forests. These areas provide critical wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and support the state’s timber industry. Agriculture is the second-largest form of land use, covering 6.9 million acres, or about 20 percent of the state’s total. These working lands include cropland, pasture, and farm woodlands, which contribute significantly to the state’s economy and food systems.
Real estate development also represents a steadily increasing share of land in North Carolina—more than 14 percent.
Of this growth, sprawling residential and urban construction are notably threatening the state’s agricultural lands—in fact, North Carolina ranks second in the nation for farmland loss from real estate.
Developed areas, particularly low-density residential development (LDR), comprise 78 percent of agricultural redevelopment; the American Farmland Trust estimates that counties may lose up to 65 percent of their agricultural acreage—1,678,100 acres—to low-density residential and other urban growth by 2040. If unchecked, this will deal a devastating blow to the state’s farming heritage. It is key to note that development for real estate, housing, and commercial purposes represents a permanent conversion of land—once built upon, this land cannot realistically be returned to farmland or forests.
By comparison, solar energy occupies only about 40,284 acres of North Carolina lands—equivalent to just 0.13 percent of all land in the state. Of that acreage, 0.42 percent is sited on agricultural land, and projections for solar development through 2030 maintain that those numbers will stay solidly under one percent. But solar and farmland are better viewed as friends than as foes. Whether a landowner wants to co-locate crops, livestock, and solar for “agrivoltaics,” or to lease the land alone, this type of development offers farmers the opportunity to diversify their income. What’s more, solar development is temporary and reversible, as facilities can be decommissioned and the land restored at the end of a project’s lifespan—unlike most permanent development.
South Carolina Land Use
Like its northern neighbor, South Carolina is dominated by forests, which cover 12.9 million acres, or 67 percent of the state’s land area. These forests form the backbone of the state’s natural resource economy, providing timber, carbon storage, and recreational opportunities. Agriculture accounts for around 5.8 million acres, or 18 percent of South Carolina’s land. Farm revenues from the sale of poultry, eggs, corn, and other crops bring in $3 billion per year.
As in North Carolina, South Carolina faces rapidly sprawling urban development—and similarly, a heightening threat to prime farmland. Farmers across the state face market pressures from housing, warehouses, distribution centers, and other growth.
The state ranks as eighth-most threatened by poorly-planned real estate—particularly LDR, which comprises roughly 70 percent of compromised land.
Solar projects occupy a very small share of South Carolina’s landscape; as of 2023, the state hosted 1,503 megawatts of solar capacity, with farms averaging 116.1 acres each. This equates to around 12,539 acres total, or around 0.065 percent of the state’s total 19.2 million acre land area. Solar also poses little threat to agriculture in South Carolina—even with expected industry growth, studies estimate that new generation over the next decade would utilize no more than 1.4 percent of agricultural land, and 0.2 percent of state acreage overall. Despite its small footprint, solar is expanding steadily across the state, contributing clean energy and more than $300 million in annual economic benefits to rural communities.
In Conclusion
Land use in North and South Carolina continues to evolve as population growth, economic pressures, and energy needs drive change. Permanent land conversion for real estate and other development are, on the one hand, necessary for our expanding states, but also pose the greatest threat to natural lands and historic agricultural livelihoods. Clean energy is also a key part of our future as we face growing energy demands, but these technologies represent a much smaller and more flexible footprint—one that can provide income for landowners, clean power for communities, and options for land preservation and restoration to agricultural use. Overall, thoughtful planning and balanced priorities will be crucial as the Carolinas look toward the future.
For more information about clean energy land use, please visit CCEBA’s resource library at carolinasceba.com/land-use-resources.