[Objective] A survey of hillside field utilization and management measures was conducted at household scale from economic perspective, in order to understand the causes of the hillside field abandonment. The aim was to improve land use efficiency and land use policies and countermeasures in Southern Shaanxi Province.[Methods] A targeted questionnaire was designed to survey the utilization of cash crop slopes and terraced fields, the economic profit, and the governance and economic needs of farmers in Shangzhou District, Shaanxi Province. The problems of land use in Southern Shaanxi Province were analyzed using the binomial Logistic regression model and the proportion analysis method. The slope management proposal was put forward by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment measures and methods.[Results] There were 93 farmers from 6 villages involved in the survey. The average annual income of the farmers' households was 39 419 yuan in 2018. The agricultural industry income mainly came from the operation of cash crops, with an average annual income of 3 661 yuan, or only 11.26% of the total income. The economic income from sloping agricultural operations was low, leading to the abandonment of cultivated land and terraced fields; the proportion of abandoned farms increased with 15%. The main driving forces of abandonment include low economic return, inconvenient transportation, insufficient rural labor, poor land quality, and low output. Transforming hillside fields into terraced fields was a necessary measure to improve land use efficiency, but there were still problems such as water accumulation and a thin soil layer. The dry masonry terraced fields were the most advantageous in terms of permeability and durability.[Conclusion] Arable land abandonment on hillsides in Southern Shaanxi Province was a major issue. It is necessary to consider factors such as population, economic benefits, and environmental benefits to formulate policies for soil and water conservation and land use with ecological and economic benefits.