What an Acre of Arkansas Land Is Worth in 2026

Arkansas—the Natural State—spans more than 52 million acres, and land remains a core asset for agriculture, timber, development, and recreation. If you’re trying to answer, “How much is an acre of land worth in Arkansas?”, the most accurate approach blends statewide benchmarks with local, property-specific data (zoning, utilities, access, and comparable sales). This guide breaks down the valuation drivers, the current market context, and practical steps to price or buy Arkansas land with confidence.

Arkansas Land Values in Today’s Market: What the Data Says

Per-acre pricing in Arkansas varies widely because “land” is not a single product. Cropland, pasture, transitional development acreage, and hunting tracts can trade at dramatically different levels—even within the same county.

• Farm and ranch demand remains a major value driver. Arkansas has 14.3 million farmable acres that generate over $20 billion annually in economic impact, according to the Saunders & Associates Lay of the Land Arkansas Market Report.
• National farmland values are still climbing. U.S. agricultural real estate values increased by $180 per acre in 2025, bringing the national average to $4,350 per acre, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS).
• Cropland specifically rose even faster. Cropland values increased by $260 per acre year over year in 2025, per the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS).
• Rental rates provide another “reality check” on income potential. Cash rent values for cropland increased 0.6% to a record $161 per acre in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS Land Values 2025 Summary Report).
• Non-irrigated cropland rents ticked upward too. Non-irrigated cropland rents rose 0.7% to $147 per acre in 2025, per the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS).
• Pasture rents were essentially flat—but reported in two closely tracked measures. Pastureland cash rents remained flat at $16 per acre in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS Land Values 2025 Summary Report), and pastureland cash rents also remained unchanged at $15.50 per acre in 2025, per the American Farm Bureau Federation (citing USDA NASS).

Importantly, “development-adjacent” land can price far above agricultural benchmarks. Single-family transitional land pricing in Arkansas typically ranges from $35,000 to $70,000 per acre, according to the Saunders & Associates Lay of the Land Arkansas Market Report.

Recreational demand also plays a measurable role in Arkansas acreage values. In 2024, over 44,000 acres of hunting/recreational land sold, generating nearly $192 million in total sales volume, per the Saunders & Associates Lay of the Land Arkansas Market Report.

Key Factors That Impact Per-Acre Land Prices in Arkansas

To determine a fair per-acre price, buyers and sellers typically weigh these variables together—not in isolation:

• Location and access — Parcels near growing towns, major employers, highways, or buildable corridors often command higher pricing than comparable rural acreage. Road frontage and reliable ingress/egress can materially change value.
• Zoning and permitted use — Commercial or industrial zoning often supports higher valuations than agricultural or low-density residential zoning because the land can produce higher future revenue.
• Utilities and communications — Proximity to power, water, sewer/septic feasibility, natural gas, and high-speed internet can raise value and reduce time-to-build.
• Topography, soils, timber, and water — For farm and timberland, soil quality, drainage, and merchantable timber directly affect income potential. For recreational tracts, creeks, ponds, and habitat diversity can drive demand.
• Improvements and readiness — Cleared acreage, fencing, established internal roads, survey work, and site prep can reduce buyer risk and increase offers. Well-presented properties also tend to sell faster.
• Buyer intent — A developer underwriting a subdivision, a farmer focused on yield, and a hunter looking for privacy will each “value” the same acre differently.
• Local market conditions — Tight inventory can push per-acre prices upward; softer cycles can restore negotiating leverage to buyers, especially on properties that need work or lack access/utilities.

How to Determine Fair Market Value: Use a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA)

Because Arkansas per-acre pricing can vary sharply even between neighboring tracts, the most reliable method is a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) grounded in recent closed sales.

Step 1: Pull true comparables (not just active listings)

Start by finding 3 to 5 recently sold properties that match your land as closely as possible in:

• County/area and access
• Acreage size and configuration
• Zoning and allowable uses
• Utilities and road frontage
• Improvements (clearing, fencing, internal roads, ponds, etc.)

Prioritize recorded sales (county records) because “for sale” prices reflect seller ambition, not what buyers actually pay.

Step 2: Normalize the numbers to a per-acre basis

Convert each comparable sale into a per-acre figure, then identify a realistic range. At this stage, you are not trying to “hit the average.” You’re identifying the value band where similar land is truly trading.

Step 3: Adjust for what your land has (or lacks)

Make upward or downward adjustments based on factors that buyers underwrite immediately, such as:

• Verified legal access vs. unimproved or disputed access
• Power/water proximity and septic feasibility
• Floodplain exposure and drainage
• Timber value, tillable ratio, or habitat quality
• Survey certainty and boundary clarity

Maximizing Returns: Don’t Just List—Create Competition

Once you set a defensible price range from your CMA, marketing strategy often determines whether you achieve the top end of that range. Passive listing alone can leave money on the table, especially for unique tracts where the best buyer may not be actively searching MLS.

• Target the likely buyer pool first (developers for transitional land, operators for farm ground, and networked buyers for hunting/recreational tracts).
• Package the property professionally with maps, access notes, utility status, zoning/use guidance, and clear photos so buyers can underwrite quickly.
• Use structured deadlines (or “highest and best” bid windows) when demand is strong to encourage serious offers.
• Stay flexible on terms when appropriate—seller financing or clean contingencies can expand your buyer pool without discounting price.

When to Work With a Land Advisor

If you don’t have the time—or the local expertise—to run comps, verify access and utilities, build a marketing package, and negotiate offers, a specialized land advisor can reduce costly mistakes. The best advisors bring:

• Local comparable-sales knowledge (beyond what’s publicly visible)
• Buyer networks across agriculture, timber, development, and recreation
• Pricing discipline based on current demand, not outdated assumptions
• Transaction management through due diligence and closing

Final Thoughts

An acre of land in Arkansas can be worth “cropland money,” “pasture money,” “recreational money,” or “development money”—and those categories can sit miles (or even blocks) apart. Start with credible market context, then anchor your decision in a CMA built from recent closed sales. When you pair accurate pricing with proactive buyer outreach, you give yourself the best chance to capture the strongest per-acre outcome the market will support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What land types typically sell for the highest per acre in Arkansas?

Commercial/industrial sites and single-family transitional acreage often command the highest per-acre pricing because future revenue potential drives underwriting. In many markets, single-family transitional land in Arkansas typically ranges from $35,000 to $70,000 per acre, according to the Saunders & Associates Lay of the Land Arkansas Market Report.

How much can county-to-county demand change pricing?

Local inventory and buyer competition can swing pricing dramatically. A tract with solid access and utilities near growing communities can price very differently than similar acreage in an area with weaker demand. That’s why closed comparable sales in the same micro-market matter more than statewide averages.

What should buyers inspect on undeveloped Arkansas land?

Buyers should confirm legal access, evaluate road and site-work costs, check flood risk and drainage, look for dumping or environmental concerns, and verify boundaries with a current survey when needed. These issues can materially affect both your offer price and your post-closing budget.

What selling costs should Arkansas landowners plan for?

Common selling costs can include agent commissions (if applicable), title work and insurance, survey or appraisal expenses, documentation fees, and potential legal review. Costs vary by transaction complexity, property type, and whether any zoning or development-related steps are involved.

How do landowners set an objective asking price?

Use a Competitive Market Analysis based on recent closed sales of similar local parcels (typically 3 to 5), then adjust for your property’s specific attributes—access, utilities, zoning, improvements, and constraints. This method ties your asking price to what the market is actually paying, not what listings hope to achieve.