Independent · Local · Community-first
lds church owns at least 2.4 million acres across the united states
A Bloomberg analysis found the Church's properties have an assessed value of more than $20 billion, with holdings increasingly being used for housing, farming, commercial projects and massive master-planned communities.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns at least 2.4 million acres across the United States an area nearly twice the size of Delaware according to a new Bloomberg analysis of public property records.
The identified properties carry a combined assessed value exceeding $20 billion and include farms, ranches, religious buildings, apartments, hotels, offices and large development sites. Bloomberg notes that the true size of the portfolio is likely higher because some holdings and partnerships are not reflected in available records.
In Utah, the exact statewide total is not publicly available. However, the Church-affiliated Deseret Land and Livestock ranch alone covers roughly 200,000 acres in northern Utah, while separate reporting has identified more than 5,000 acres of Church-owned farmland in Salt Lake County.
The Church says its religious, preservation and investment properties are intended to support its mission, while its commercial holdings generate long-term income.
