Agricultural Land Values Rise in 2015 Over Prior Year

Agriculture land values across the U.S. increased by 2.4 percent in 2015 to an average of $3,020 per acre including land and buildings according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Regional changes in the average value of farm real estate ranged from a 6.1 percent increase in the Southern Plains region to 0.3 decrease in the Corn Belt region,” the report stated.

The per acre farm real estate values tracked by USDA includes separate breakouts for cropland and pasture values. But the surveys do not include forestland values, which in major regions of the country—notably southern areas—would add significantly to the value of many farms.

Broken out by F&W’s U.S. service areas by state and region, the highest valued agriculture area in the 2015 survey was the Mid-Atlantic comprised of North Carolina and Virginia that averaged $4,410 per acre, down slightly from $4,415 in 2014. This sub-region was followed closely by the Central region comprised of Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee with an average per acre value in 2015 of $4,217.

The Southeastern region of the U.S., the heart of the nation’s wood basket with vast rich pine forests, had a farm real estate value of $3,670 per acre in 2015, up 1.1 percent from its 2014 valuation.

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