High-quality and erosion-prone cropland is distributed among landowners in approximately the same patterns as total cropland, except for a slight concentration of prime cropland in medium-size holdings. Owners of potential cropland tend to have smaller holdings, lower net farm income, and are less involved in agriculture than current cropland owners. These characteristics may hinder development of additional cropland. This study analyzes linkages between rural landownership patterns and land use, land quality, and potential cropland, using data from the 1977 National Resource Inventories and the 1978 Landownership Survey.