Results from the annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey released Dec. 9 showed a decrease of land value in Clarke County by 2.1%. In 2024, land in the county was valued at $7,506 per acre, while this year it was valued at $7,348. Looking at Iowa as a whole saw an increase in average land value with some showing an overall state increase in the average land value per acre with some counties experiencing increases greater than 4% and others decreases of up to 2.3%.
South Central findings
Located in the South Central District with 10 other counties, four other counties saw decreases of less than -2%:
Decatur County, a decrease of 2.3% from $6,944 to $6,781
Lucas County, a decrease of 2.3% from $7,007 to $6,843
Wayne County, a decrease of 2.3% from $7,401 to $7,227
Appanoose County, a decrease of 2.3% from $6,840 to $6,679
Counties that had decrease in land value of -2 to 0% were:
Union County, a decrease of 1.1% from $8,343 to $8,255
Ringgold County, a decrease of 1.1% from $7,452 to $7,373
Monroe County, a decrease of 0.3% from $8,044 to $8,023
Marion County, a decrease of 0.5% from $10,428 to $10,379
Warren County, a decrease of 1.8% from $10,768 to $10,578
Madison County was the only county to have an increase in the South Central District, a 0.1% increase from $9,759 to $9,770.
With an average land value per acre in South Central District valued at $7,623, high quality land was valued at $10,677, a 0.17 increase; medium quality land $7,465, a -5.07% decrease and low quality land $5,199, a 2.53% increase. Since 2009, the year with the highest value for high and low quality land was 2025 while 2024 saw the highest value for medium-quality land at $7,864/acre and overall quality $7,754. The lowest years for overall and individual quality was 2009, with overall quality at $2,537, high quality $3,710, medium quality $2,443 and low quality $1,685.
State-level findings
Statewide, the average land value per acre for 2025 was $11,549, a 0.7% or $83 increase from November 2024. The district with the highest average land values were found in the northwest, with values up 29% from last year to $14,522 per acre, while south central came in lowest with $7,623 per acre, a decrease of 1.7%. The north central and central districts reported decreases in land value as well - 2.6% and 2% respectively - while the remaining five had increases ranging from 0.1% to 4.1%.
Responses for the survey are gathered from ag professionals – appraisers, ag lenders, broker/realtors, farm managers, farmers or landowners and government agencies – across Iowa’s nine crop-reporting districts as of Nov. 1. The results are then looked at and interpreted by Iowa State University assistant professor and extension economist Rabail Chandio. The survey is not intended to assign value to individual parcels, but rather give insight into percentage changes.
In a release from ISU, Chandio said she generally considers changes of less than 5% - positive or negative - as an adjustment rather than a change in the market.
“Changes of that size often reflect variation across counties and crop reporting districts rather than a consistent statewide trend,” Chandio said. “It wasn’t a boom or a bust, just a very uneven adjustment, with the story changing as you move across the state.”
Overall, 60 counties reported increases in their nominal land value, yet 78 counties reported decreases in values adjusted for inflation. The county with the highest estimated land value in 2025 was O’Brien County, with the value per acre at $16,269, a 2.2% increase. Other counties that were valued at $14,000 or more per acre were Sioux, Plymouth, Lyon, Osceola and Scott counties. The lowest was found in Appanoose County, which saw a -2.3% decrease to $6,679. Of the 21 counties in the bottom two rows of counties, 13 in addition Appanoose had acre values of $8,700 or less, five at $8,700 to $10,500 and two at $10,500 to $12,500.
“Sellers may find that the proceeds won’t buy as much machinery, land or inputs as they would have a few years ago. So, while selling today can still improve a farmer’s financial position, the real economic gain is smaller than the nominal price increase suggests,” Chandio said.
Kossuth County saw the largest percentage decrease of 4.3% while Allamakee and Clayton counties in northeastern Iowa both reported 4.4% increases. By dollar value, Dubuque County reported an increase of $553/acre to $13,677 (4.2%) with Kossuth reporting a $552/acre decrease to $12,414.
While land value saw some growth, Chandio said the federal interest rate is a factor on the lower values.
“Because we haven’t seen any major reductions, the market is still feeling the weight of the rate hikes from 2022 and 2023. And since interest-rate effects take years, up to a decade, to be fully capitalized in land values, those post-COVID increases are still working their way through the system,” Chandio said.
Looking at farmland values from 1976 to 2025, the largest change from one year to the next was 2011, when the value per acre increased from $5,064 in 2010 to $6,708, a 32.5% increase. The largest decrease was from 1984 to 1985, when the value per acre decreased from $1,357 to $948, a -30.1% change.
The survey also looks at land quality. High quality land was valued at $14,030, a $101 or 0.7% increase, medium quality land came in at $10,809, a $69 or 0.6% increase and low quality land $7,580, a $130 or 1.7% increase.
with Clarke that saw decreases less than -2% were:
Decatur County, a decrease of 2.3% from $6,944 to $6,781
Lucas County, a decrease of 2.3% from $7,007 to $6,843
Wayne County, a decrease of 2.3% from $7,401 to $7,227
Appanoose County, a decrease of 2.3% from $6,840 to $6,679
Counties that had decrease in land value of -2 to 0% were:
Union County, a decrease of 1.1% from $8,343 to $8,255
Ringgold County, a decrease of 1.1% from $7,452 to $7,373
Monroe County, a decrease of 0.3% from $8,044 to $8,023
Marion County, a decrease of 0.5% from $10,428 to $10,379
Warren County, a decrease of 1.8% from $10,768 to $10,578
Madison County was the only county to have an increase in the South Central District, a 0.1% increase from $9,759 to $9,770.With an average land value per acre in South Central District valued at $7,623, high quality land was valued at $10,677, a 0.17 increase; medium quality land $7,465, a -5.07% decrease and low quality land $5,199, a 2.53% increase. Since 2009, the year with the highest value for high and low quality land was 2025 while 2024 saw the highest value for medium-quality land at $7,864/acre and overall quality $7,754. The lowest years for overall and individual quality was 2009, with overall quality at $2,537, high quality $3,710, medium quality $2,443 and low quality $1,685.