Annual Iowa Farmland Values Report By Iowa State University
Jason J Smith
Auctioneer & Land Broker
Jason is an experienced farmland broker and auctioneer with extensive experience in farmland sales across this Midwest. Jason has worked with hundreds of clients to create advantageous outcomes. If you are selling land schedule a consultation with Jason by calling or using the calendar.
Phone: 515-537-6633
Iowa Farmland Values 2016-2017
Every year Iowa State University releases a report on Iowa farmland values based on responses to a survey of Iowa land brokers, farm managers, Realtors, ag lenders and farmers. This year 518 responses to the survey reporting 711 land values. With 99 counties in Iowa that is an average of 7.1 sales per county.
Overall the report showed Iowa farmland values fell for the 3rd year in a row. Certainly not a surprise and again the surprise might be how little it actually fell. Farmland values have remained stronger than expected and likely due to 1031 exchanges and low interest rates. The average value of an acre of farmland was determined to be $7183 per acre which was 5.9% less than the final result of the 2015 land value survey. This decline in farmland values represents $450 per acre.
Northwest Iowa was the highest land value for a region of the state at $9243 per acre while south central Iowa had the lowest land values by region at $4241 per acre. Scott County again had the highest land value at $10,335 per acre and Decatur County was again the lowest at $3443 per acre.
The largest decrease in Iowa farmland values was in Plymouth and Sioux Counties at $747 per acre and the highest percentage decrease was in Monona County at 8.4%
Based on land quality low quality land typically 0-33 CSR averaged $4645 per acre with a 3.5% decrease for a loss of $169 per acre. Medium quality land typically 34-66 CSR averaged $6705 per acre and lost 5.9% value for $294 per acre. High quality land, all land above 66 CSR averaged $8758 which was a decrease of 6.5% or $606 per acre loss in value.
This report is a based on 2016 sales but shows us the pattern moving toward 2017. The last 2 annual reports along with this years report have shown declines of 8.9% (2014) 3.9% (2015) and 5.9% in 2016.
At the end of this post you can find a link to download the data, maps and commentary on the Iowa Land Values Survey.
Iowa Farmland Value Changes From 2015 To 2016
| Location | Average per acre | Dollars/acre | $Change | %Change |
| Adair County | $5530.00 | $5,851.00 | -$321.00 | -5.48% |
| Adams County | $4758.00 | $4,948.00 | -$191.00 | -3.85% |
| Allamakee County | $5211.00 | $5,586.00 | -$375.00 | -6.71% |
| Appanoose County | $3609.00 | $3,682.00 | -$73.00 | -2.00% |
| Audubon County | $7530.00 | $8,139.00 | -$609.00 | -7.48% |
| Benton County | $7922.00 | $8,485.00 | -$564.00 | -6.64% |
| Black Hawk County | $8599.00 | $9,198.00 | -$599.00 | -6.52% |
| Boone County | $8168.00 | $8,800.00 | -$631.00 | -7.18% |
| Bremer County | $8139.00 | $8,692.00 | -$553.00 | -6.37% |
| Buchanan County | $7913.00 | $8,447.00 | -$534.00 | -6.32% |
| Buena Vista County | $8996.00 | $9,570.00 | -$574.00 | -5.99% |
| Butler County | $7596.00 | $8,101.00 | -$506.00 | -6.24% |
| Calhoun County | $8655.00 | $9,282.00 | -$627.00 | -6.76% |
| Carroll County | $8342.00 | $8,949.00 | -$607.00 | -6.78% |
| Cass County | $6731.00 | $7,169.00 | -$439.00 | -6.12% |
| Cedar County | $8278.00 | $8,741.00 | -$463.00 | -5.30% |
| Cerro Gordo County | $7504.00 | $7,974.00 | -$469.00 | -5.89% |
| Cherokee County | $8577.00 | $9,219.00 | -$642.00 | -6.96% |
| Chickasaw County | $7084.00 | $7,567.00 | -$483.00 | -6.38% |
| Clarke County | $3991.00 | $4,081.00 | -$90.00 | -2.20% |
| Clay County | $8482.00 | $9,023.00 | -$540.00 | -5.99% |
| Clayton County | $6625.00 | $7,102.00 | -$477.00 | -6.71% |
| Clinton County | $7225.00 | $7,665.00 | -$439.00 | -5.73% |
| Crawford County | $7784.00 | $8,424.00 | -$640.00 | -7.59% |
| Dallas County | $7577.00 | $8,150.00 | -$574.00 | -7.04% |
| Davis County | $4693.00 | $4,858.00 | -$166.00 | -3.41% |
| Decatur County | $3443.00 | $3,514.00 | -$70.00 | -2.00% |
| Delaware County | $8379.00 | $8,954.00 | -$575.00 | -6.42% |
| Des Moines County | $7145.00 | $7,468.00 | -$323.00 | -4.33% |
| Dickinson County | $8093.00 | $8,638.00 | -$545.00 | -6.31% |
| Dubuque County | $7615.00 | $8,152.00 | -$537.00 | -6.59% |
| Emmet County | $8248.00 | $8,772.00 | -$524.00 | -5.97% |
| Fayette County | $7694.00 | $8,233.00 | -$539.00 | -6.54% |
| Floyd County | $7323.00 | $7,808.00 | -$485.00 | -6.21% |
| Franklin County | $7538.00 | $7,993.00 | -$455.00 | -5.69% |
| Fremont County | $6422.00 | $6,740.00 | -$318.00 | -4.72% |
| Greene County | $7666.00 | $8,257.00 | -$591.00 | -7.16% |
| Grundy County | $8552.00 | $9,183.00 | -$632.00 | -6.88% |
| Guthrie County | $6773.00 | $7,340.00 | -$566.00 | -7.71% |
| Hamilton County | $8589.00 | $9,193.00 | -$603.00 | -6.56% |
| Hancock County | $7565.00 | $8,011.00 | -$446.00 | -5.56% |
| Hardin County | $7883.00 | $8,438.00 | -$555.00 | -6.57% |
| Henry County | $6604.00 | $6,903.00 | -$299.00 | -4.33% |
| Howard County | $6419.00 | $6,857.00 | -$438.00 | -6.38% |
| Humboldt County | $8307.00 | $8,827.00 | -$520.00 | -5.89% |
| Ida County | $8167.00 | $8,840.00 | -$673.00 | -7.61% |
| Iowa County | $7123.00 | $7,572.00 | -$450.00 | -5.94% |
| Jackson County | $6624.00 | $7,061.00 | -$437.00 | -6.19% |
| Jasper County | $7441.00 | $7,867.00 | -$426.00 | -5.42% |
| Jefferson County | $5367.00 | $5,611.00 | -$243.00 | -4.34% |
| Johnson County | $8636.00 | $9,114.00 | -$478.00 | -5.25% |
| Jones County | $7296.00 | $7,745.00 | -$449.00 | -5.80% |
| Keokuk County | $6335.00 | $6,682.00 | -$348.00 | -5.20% |
| Kossuth County | $8103.00 | $8,557.00 | -$453.00 | -5.30% |
| Lee County | $6459.00 | $6,676.00 | -$217.00 | -3.25% |
| Linn County | $8578.00 | $9,093.00 | -$515.00 | -5.66% |
| Louisa County | $7393.00 | $7,803.00 | -$410.00 | -5.25% |
| Lucas County | $3761.00 | $3,837.00 | -$77.00 | -2.00% |
| Lyon County | $9254.00 | $9,878.00 | -$624.00 | -6.31% |
| Madison County | $6050.00 | $6,341.00 | -$291.00 | -4.58% |
| Mahaska County | $6610.00 | $6,912.00 | -$301.00 | -4.36% |
| Marion County | $6490.00 | $6,707.00 | -$217.00 | -3.24% |
| Marshall County | $7474.00 | $7,995.00 | -$521.00 | -6.52% |
| Mills County | $7283.00 | $7,645.00 | -$361.00 | -4.72% |
| Mitchell County | $7503.00 | $7,999.00 | -$497.00 | -6.21% |
| Monona County | $6463.00 | $7,054.00 | -$590.00 | -8.37% |
| Monroe County | $4807.00 | $4,980.00 | -$173.00 | -3.47% |
| Montgomery County | $5937.00 | $6,232.00 | -$294.00 | -4.72% |
| Muscatine County | $7752.00 | $8,185.00 | -$433.00 | -5.29% |
| O’Brien County | $1 0,194 | $1 0,881 | -$687.00 | -6.31% |
| Osceola County | $8929.00 | $9,531.00 | -$602.00 | -6.31% |
| Page County | $5419.00 | $5,688.00 | -$269.00 | -4.72% |
| Palo Alto County | $8054.00 | $8,534.00 | -$480.00 | -5.63% |
| Plymouth County | $9057.00 | $9,804.00 | -$747.00 | -7.62% |
| Pocahonta Countys | $8388.00 | $8,905.00 | -$516.00 | -5.80% |
| Polk County | $7520.00 | $8,013.00 | -$493.00 | -6.15% |
| Pottawattamie County | $7777.00 | $8,261.00 | -$485.00 | -5.87% |
| Poweshiek County | $7134.00 | $7,581.00 | -$447.00 | -5.89% |
| Ringgold County | $4084.00 | $4,211.00 | -$127.00 | -3.03% |
| Sac County | $8858.00 | $9,502.00 | -$645.00 | -6.78% |
| Scott County | $1 0,335 | $1 0,918 | -$583.00 | -5.34% |
| Shelby County | $7693.00 | $8,288.00 | -$595.00 | -7.18% |
| Sioux County | $1 0,066 | $1 0,813 | -$747.00 | -6.91% |
| Tama County | $7455.00 | $7,985.00 | -$530.00 | -6.64% |
| Taylor County | $4315.00 | $4,491.00 | -$176.00 | -3.93% |
| Union County | $4842.00 | $4,992.00 | -$150.00 | -3.00% |
| Van Buren County | $4999.00 | $5,170.00 | -$172.00 | -3.32% |
| Wapello County | $5384.00 | $5,633.00 | -$250.00 | -4.43% |
| Warren County | $6504.00 | $6,740.00 | -$235.00 | -3.49% |
| Washington County | $8214.00 | $8,664.00 | -$451.00 | -5.20% |
| Wayne County | $3664.00 | $3,738.00 | -$75.00 | -2.00% |
| Webster County | $8265.00 | $8,843.00 | -$578.00 | -6.54% |
| Winnebago County | $7003.00 | $7,415.00 | -$413.00 | -5.56% |
| Winneshiek County | $6592.00 | $7,054.00 | -$462.00 | -6.55% |
| Woodbury County | $6691.00 | $7,298.00 | -$608.00 | -8.32% |
| Worth County | $6973.00 | $7,409.00 | -$436.00 | -5.89% |
| Wright County | $8395.00 | $8,922.00 | -$528.00 | -5.91% |
Iowa Farmland Prices By Crop Reporting Region
| Region | Average | $/acre | $Change | %Change |
| North Central | $7562.00 | $7,962.00 | -$400.00 | -5.03% |
| Northeast | $7313.00 | $7,861.00 | -$547.00 | -6.96% |
| West Central | $7358.00 | $8,061.00 | -$703.00 | -8.72% |
| Central | $7841.00 | $8,505.00 | -$664.00 | -7.81% |
| East Central | $7917.00 | $8,506.00 | -$589.00 | -6.93% |
| Southwest | $6060.00 | $6,372.00 | -$312.00 | -4.89% |
| South Central | $4241.00 | $4,397.00 | -$157.00 | -3.56% |
| Southeast | $6716.00 | $6,892.00 | -$177.00 | -2.56% |
| State Average | $7183.00 | $7,633.00 | -$450.00 | -5.90% |
2016 Iowa Farmland Values Statewide
2016 and 2015 Iowa Average Land Values by County
Percent change in Iowa land values 2015 to 2016
2016 Iowa land values by crop reporting district
Percent change in Iowa land values from 2015 to 2016
Need more information? Download the report documents
2016-2017 Iowa Land Values Report
Interested in tracking Iowa farmland sales as they happen? We offer a one of kind ability to track farmland prices in Iowa based on auction results statewide that always has current farmland prices as they happen. Visit our Iowa farmland values website at www.DollarsAndDirt.com
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