Top Websites to Buy Land in Pennsylvania in 2026
Return to BlogGet cash offer for your land today!
Ready for your next adventure? Fill in the contact form and get your cash offer.

By
Bart Waldon
Pennsylvania offers a rare mix of productive farmland, forested mountain tracts, and buildable rural lots—often within a few hours of major East Coast metros. If you’re planning to buy land in the Keystone State, it helps to understand today’s market signals and then use the right online tools to find properties that match your goals.
Land prices and land income indicators also paint a useful picture. Pennsylvania farmland values reached $8,490 per acre in 2025, up 4.0% from 2024, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). For broader context, U.S. cropland values averaged $5,830 per acre in 2025, an increase of $260 per acre (4.7%) from 2024, per USDA NASS. U.S. pastureland values averaged $1,920 per acre in 2025, up $90 per acre (4.9%) from 2024, also reported by USDA NASS. And U.S. farm real estate values averaged $4,350 per acre in 2025, up 4.3% from 2024, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS).
Zooming back in on the region, Northeast farm real estate values grew 3.3% in 2025, with Pennsylvania outpacing the region at 4.0% growth, according to Farm Progress. If you track quarterly pricing signals, the Farmland Price Index (FPI) for Q2 2025 was $7,592 per acre, down 6% from $8,069 per acre in Q2 2024, per Farmer Mac. On the “cost to operate” side, Pennsylvania’s average cropland rental rate was $102 per acre in 2025—the lowest among major agricultural regions—according to the USDA ERS.
Long-term land stability matters, too—especially if you’re buying next to active farms or want confidence that surrounding acreage won’t be developed overnight. Pennsylvania is the national leader in farmland preservation, with 6,481 farms and 646,724 acres protected through permanent agricultural conservation easements, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Farmland Preservation. The program has preserved more than 600,000 acres statewide, per the Lehigh County Department of Agriculture.
Finally, Pennsylvania agriculture connects to real demand: the state is the country’s 23rd largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $2.2 billion in domestic agricultural exports in 2023, according to the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Best websites to buy land in Pennsylvania
The fastest way to find Pennsylvania land listings is to search across both mainstream real estate portals and land-specific marketplaces. The sites below cover most buyers’ needs—whether you’re shopping for a small buildable lot, a hunting parcel, or working farmland.
Zillow: broad inventory with strong map tools
Zillow works well as a first stop because it aggregates a huge number of listings and makes it easy to explore them visually.
- Intuitive filters for price, acreage, days on market, and property type
- Satellite and map views for quick terrain and access checks
- Saved searches and alerts to track new land listings in specific counties
Use Zillow to build a baseline of what land costs in your target area. Then, cross-check land-only platforms for rural listings that don’t always surface on big portals.
LandWatch: built for rural land buyers
LandWatch focuses heavily on rural real estate, which makes it a strong option for buyers looking for:
- Farmland and tillable acreage
- Hunting and recreational properties
- Wooded tracts and off-grid potential
Listings often include practical property details (access, terrain, nearby features) and may provide direct ways to contact sellers or brokers.
Land and Farm: strong for agricultural and recreational listings
Land and Farm is a practical marketplace for working farms, larger acreage, and land that supports agricultural use. It’s especially useful if you want to compare properties by acreage and land type.
- Good coverage for farms, timber, and mixed-use tracts
- Financing and affordability tools (such as payment calculators) to sanity-check your budget
As with any portal, confirm listing status and key facts with the agent or seller—especially on properties that have been marketed for a while.
Trulia: neighborhood and livability intel
Trulia shines when your land purchase depends on the surrounding community—schools, services, commuting distance, and local quality-of-life factors.
Best uses for land shoppers
- Interactive maps that help you understand nearby amenities and infrastructure
- Area-level context so you can evaluate tradeoffs between counties and towns
- A mobile experience that’s helpful when you’re scouting in person
Trulia tends to be strongest in more populated areas, so treat it as your “context layer,” then rely on land-focused sites for rural inventory.
Lands of America (Land.com Network): deep land-specific details
Lands of America is part of the Land.com Network and caters directly to land buyers. It’s a smart choice when you want more than a basic listing description.
Why it stands out
- Detailed property write-ups (often including land characteristics and potential uses)
- Mapping tools that help you visualize location and boundaries
- Mobile-friendly searching for on-the-go comparisons
Some advanced features may require a paid tier, but the land-specific depth can be worth it for serious buyers.
Realtor.com: MLS-driven listings and timely updates
Realtor.com is a dependable option when you want listings that are closely tied to MLS updates.
- Strong coverage in areas where MLS participation is high
- Useful local and property context for comparison shopping
- Tools that support mobile searching while you tour properties
Because it’s not land-exclusive, you may need to filter carefully and use multiple search terms (for example: “lot,” “acreage,” “farm,” “wooded,” or “recreational”).
How to shop for Pennsylvania land online (and avoid expensive surprises)
1) Define your land use first
Start with your end goal: building a home, starting a hobby farm, buying hunting land, holding as an investment, or assembling a larger tract. Your target use determines what “good land” means—road access, utilities, slope, soils, or proximity to towns.
2) Filter aggressively and save searches
Use acreage, price, county, and property-type filters to cut noise. Set alerts so you don’t miss new listings, especially in competitive areas.
3) Verify zoning, access, and buildability early
Before you fall in love with a parcel, confirm:
- Zoning and permitted uses
- Legal access (public road frontage or recorded easements)
- Septic and well feasibility (or public utility availability)
- Flood zones or other hazard constraints
4) Cross-check listing claims with independent records
Online listings can be incomplete or outdated. Compare details across multiple sites, review county GIS/parcel data, and request documentation (survey, deed, easements, timber info) from the seller or agent.
5) Treat pricing as a range, not a single number
Land values can move differently depending on parcel size, location, and intended use. Keep current benchmarks in mind—like Pennsylvania’s $8,490 per acre farmland value in 2025 reported by USDA NASS—but price each property based on its specific constraints and opportunities.
6) Bring in a land-savvy professional when needed
Land deals often require specialized due diligence (soils, surveys, rights-of-way, timber valuation). A local real estate agent or attorney with land experience can help you avoid preventable mistakes.
7) Think long-term: taxes, conservation, and surrounding land use
Pennsylvania’s strong farmland preservation footprint can be a major plus for buyers who value open space and agricultural continuity. The state leads the nation with 6,481 farms and 646,724 acres protected through permanent agricultural conservation easements, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Farmland Preservation, and the program has preserved more than 600,000 acres statewide per the Lehigh County Department of Agriculture. If a parcel is encumbered by an easement, confirm what it allows—and what it restricts—before you commit.
Final thoughts
Buying land in Pennsylvania is still one of the most flexible ways to invest in space, privacy, and long-term optionality—whether you want a farm, a recreational retreat, or a future homesite. Use mainstream portals for breadth, land-specific marketplaces for depth, and local research for verification. When you combine smart online searching with thorough due diligence, you put yourself in the best position to find a property that fits both your budget and your vision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it typically take to buy land in Pennsylvania?
After you make an offer, many land purchases close in roughly 30–90 days, depending on financing, title work, surveys, and inspections. Finding the right parcel often takes longer—especially for rural properties—because land inventory can be seasonal and highly local.
Do I need a real estate agent to buy land in Pennsylvania?
No—Pennsylvania does not require you to use an agent. However, a land-focused agent can help you evaluate access, zoning, comparable sales, and negotiation strategy, which can be especially valuable if you’re buying raw land.
What should I consider before buying raw land in Pennsylvania?
- Zoning, permitted uses, and any deed restrictions
- Legal access and recorded easements
- Utilities (well, septic, electric, broadband) and feasibility testing
- Soil quality, drainage, and environmental conditions
- Flood zones and natural hazard considerations
- Property taxes, potential cleanup costs, and development expenses
- Surrounding land use—especially preserved farmland or future development plans
