This paper investigates the impacts of migration characteristics on rural migrant households' farmland use arrangements in China. The results reveal that trailing migration, duration of migration and the proportion of co-migrants have a significant effect on the probability of rural migrant households' farmland abandonment. Commercial employment migration has a negative impact on the abandonment of farmland by migrant families. Migrant households are most likely to choose farmland abandonment in the western and middle regions of China and in small farmland areas. In the eastern region, and first tier and second tier Chinese cities, migrant households are more inclined to choose farmland transfer. Household earnings increase, which induces households to gradually give up the cultivation of farmland or to transfer farmland, constituting a mechanism in Chinese households' farmland use arrangements. Notably, the consolidation of arable land should be the focus in areas of low economic development. Furthermore, an effective mechanism for the transfer of farmland should be established.