Land Pricing: Price per Acre and Price per Square Foot
$1,000/acre = $0.023/sq ft. $30/sq ft = $1.3 million/acre. Convert land prices in either direction and calculate total parcel price.
Updated April 2026
Price per Acre / Sq Ft Converter
Worked example
A 5-acre Texas parcel at $12,000/acre = $60,000 total = $0.276/sq ft. Compare to a 0.25-acre suburban lot at $25/sq ft = $272,250/acre = $68,062 total. Per-sq-ft pricing normalises both for comparison.
Rural vs Urban: The Same Math, Different Worlds
An Iowa farm at $9,395/acre = $0.22 per sq ft. A Manhattan commercial parcel at $500/sq ft = $21.8 million per acre. The same unit of area spans a 100,000x price range across the US.
Land buyers comparing a rural parcel to a suburban lot need to normalise the price unit. A $120,000 five-acre rural parcel ($24,000/acre, $0.55/sq ft) may seem cheaper than a $150,000 quarter-acre suburban lot ($600,000/acre, $13.78/sq ft) - but the use cases, zoning, and services are entirely different.
Average US Land Prices by State (2024)
Source: USDA NASS Land Values 2024 Summary; TX Real Estate Research Center. Verified April 2026.
| State / Region | Average Price |
|---|---|
| California | $15,880/ac |
| Iowa | $9,395/ac |
| Illinois | $8,360/ac |
| Nebraska | $5,770/ac |
| Texas (rural) | $4,200/ac |
| Kansas | $3,010/ac |
| Montana (ranch) | $1,200-$2,500/ac |
| Pasture (national avg) | $1,720/ac |
Prices vary significantly within states by county, use class, water rights, and improvements. These are statewide averages and should not be used for individual valuations. Full state-by-state norms
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