Farmland Investment Basics
Research land ownership costs, agricultural returns, risk, and transaction expenses
Practical evaluation
- Define which land class is relevant in the county of interest: cultivated cropland, irrigated cropland, pasture, mixed-use land or farm real estate.
- Stress-test financing, property taxes, cash rents, repairs and possible production losses.
- Find USDA NASS statistics and record source, year, land type, survey scope, unit, and any missing or suppressed values.
- Review local deeds, verified comparable sales and county assessor information rather than applying a national average to one parcel.
- Inspect soil characteristics, water access, road easements, improvements and existing leases.
- Calculate annual property taxes, financing, operating costs, conservation obligations and insurance costs.
- For a purchase, lease, tax appeal or legal decision, seek qualified local professional advice.
What an average cannot tell you
Stress-test financing, property taxes, cash rents, repairs and possible production losses. Statewide land value averages do not necessarily reflect individual transactions. County estimates may be missing, withheld, outdated or based on different land categories. Verify units, reporting year and source before comparison.
State-level research
AlaskaResearch by stateAlabamaResearch by stateArkansasResearch by stateAmerican SamoaResearch by stateArizonaResearch by stateCaliforniaResearch by stateColoradoResearch by stateConnecticutResearch by stateDistrict of ColumbiaResearch by stateDelawareResearch by stateFloridaResearch by stateGeorgiaResearch by stateGuamResearch by stateHawaiiResearch by stateIowaResearch by stateIdahoResearch by stateIllinoisResearch by stateIndianaResearch by stateKansasResearch by stateKentuckyResearch by stateLouisianaResearch by stateMassachusettsResearch by stateMarylandResearch by stateMaineResearch by stateMichiganResearch by stateMinnesotaResearch by stateMissouriResearch by stateNorthern Mariana IslandsResearch by stateMississippiResearch by stateMontanaResearch by stateNorth CarolinaResearch by stateNorth DakotaResearch by stateNebraskaResearch by stateNew HampshireResearch by stateNew JerseyResearch by stateNew MexicoResearch by stateNevadaResearch by stateNew YorkResearch by stateOhioResearch by stateOklahomaResearch by stateOregonResearch by statePennsylvaniaResearch by statePuerto RicoResearch by stateRhode IslandResearch by stateSouth CarolinaResearch by stateSouth DakotaResearch by stateTennesseeResearch by stateTexasResearch by stateUtahResearch by stateVirginiaResearch by stateU.S. Virgin IslandsResearch by stateVermontResearch by stateWashingtonResearch by stateWisconsinResearch by stateWest VirginiaResearch by stateWyomingResearch by state
Official land data and research sources
Use published USDA figures with their source year, geography, agricultural land class, and units. A published regional mean is not an individual property appraisal.