This study took Liukuei and Maolin townships of Kaohsiung County as an example to examine the relationships between land uses and socioeconomic and topographic factors. The socioeconomic conditions and topographic characteristics of the two townships were quite different, which in turn led to very different land use patterns. Liukuei Township was more extensively developed, with many buildings and farmlands. In contrast, Maolin Township was not densely developed, and most of the forests remained intact. Results of correlation analysis showed that the area and ratio of built lands of a village were mainly related to demographic and economic factors. On the other hand, the areas and ratios of agricultural lands and forestlands were not only related to agricultural characteristics of a village, but also limited by the topographic conditions of the village.