<p>Cropland suitability analysis is a vital tool for ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture, coordinating ecological space with human activity space on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). However, there are few studies on complete and accurate cropland suitability assessments on the QTP, let alone on identifying key potential areas for cropland development. We used a novel assessment model to generate a 30-m cropland suitability map for the QTP. The identification of areas with cropland development potential and the evaluation of potentially available cropland were further integrated into a unified analytical framework. We found that only 10.18% of the study area is suitable for large-scale and permanent cropland. Moreover, approximately 72.75% of the existing cropland was found to be distributed in suitable or marginally suitable areas. Considering the trade-offs related to irrigation water supply convenience, approximately 1.07% of the study area was identified as having high potential for cropland development. Four key potential areas were further identified: the Shannan Valley, the Nyingchi Valley, the Zanda Valley, and the Gonghe Basin. These areas boast abundant potentially available cropland resources and ecological resettlement capacities, which leads us to recommend strategic priorities for comprehensive land consolidation and water development. This study has practical significance for optimizing land resource allocation and guiding decision-making related to ecological migration on the QTP.</p>