This land is your land, this land is my land: who owns the most U.S. real estate, and big sales and transfers in 2022

The Emmerson family's timberland in Northern California
(Photo by Katie Luther, Sierra Pacific Industries)

When it comes to land purchases and transfers, 2022 was a big year. "From strategic acquisitions to out-and-out buyouts, America’s largest landowners bought and sold millions of acres all year long in 2022, acquiring inholdings, selling nonessential acreage, and delving into new markets," reports Eric O'Keefe of Successful Farming. "That information is included in the 2022 Land Report 100, which is compiled each year by The Land Report magazine."

O'Keefe provides a highlighted listing:

Emmerson Family - The nation’s largest private landowners, California’s Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that growth was nearly 78,000 acres of Northern California timberland acquired from the descendants of Thomas Barlow “T.B.” Walker.

Four Sixes Ranch - For sheer size, no transaction compares to the sale of Texas’s Four Sixes Ranch. Taylor Sheridan, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind "Yellowstone", "1883," and "1923," led an investment group that acquired the legendary landmark. The sale marked the first time in more than 150 years that the iconic outfit had changed hands.

John Malone - The Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation has partnered with The Nature Conservancy and Colorado State University to study the impact of virtual fencing on California’s Red Top Ranch.

East Foundation - In 2022, Texas’s East Foundation completed the 60-month transition process to convert from a private foundation to an agricultural research organization. This process had long been in the works. The ARO designation is similar in many ways to the long-established medical research organization (MRO) status, which dates back to the 1950s.

Top Ten Largest Private Landowners:
Emmerson family 2.411 million acres
John Malone, 2.2 million acres
Ted Turner, 2 million acres
Reed family, 1.661 million acres
Stan Kroenke, 1.627 million acres
Irving family, 1.267 million acres
Buck family, 1.236 million acres
Singleton family, 1.1 million acres
Brad Kelley, 1 million acres
King Ranch Heirs, 911,215 acres