Jackson County is changing, according to new data on how its land is being used.
Every five years or so, the county prepares a map of how its land is being used as part of updating its Comprehensive Plan. That land use map, released earlier this month, shows a county slowly becoming less rural in nature.
Agricultural and forested land still makes up by far the biggest chunk of Jackson County, over 60%. But that number is shrinking over time.
According to the county’s map, nearly 4,500 acres of agricultural land were converted into other uses. In the past 15 years, the county has lost over 17,000 acres of agricultural or forest land. That’s about a 12% loss in acreage.
Much of that land is going into the county’s second largest land use category, housing. Jackson County added some 2,300 acres of residential land in the last four years. Commercial and industrial land, while a small portion of the county’s land, also saw significant growth.
