Illinois Farmland Prices December 2025: Auction Results & Market Trends
Welcome to Our Monthly Illinois Farmland Value Report
In this monthly report, Rachel Tiffany, Land Broker and Auctioneer dives into Illinois farmland values, helping you understand the factors that determine what your farm is potentially worth. Our goal as auctioneers and farmland real estate agents is to provide you with up-to-date information, recent sales data, expert insights, and tips for maximizing the potential value of your farmland sale. Let us answer the questions you have about selling farmland in Illinois. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Illinois Farmland Auction Results – December 2025 Market Update
Tracking Prices, Trends & Market Shifts Across Illinois Farmland Sales
December closed out the year with a slower pace of transactions, but pricing held firm as buyers continued to show strong interest in high-quality farmland. While overall volume dipped seasonally, the data shows that demand for productive ground remains resilient heading into 2026.
December 2025 Snapshot (80%+ Tillable Farms)
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Total Sales Volume: $44,241,669
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Acres Sold: 3,178.30 acres
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Average Price: $13,711.84 per acre
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Tillable Acres: 3,064.65 acres
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Average $/Tillable Acre: $14,152
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Average Tillable Percentage: 96.72%
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Average PI: 130.7
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Average $/PI: $104
Even with fewer acres trading hands, pricing strength was notable. Buyers paid more per acre than in November, and the average soil quality (PI) improved, signaling continued preference for high-performing farmland.
See the full results of all farmland sold by auction this month at the end of the blog, along with graphs showing 12 months of data on price per acre, total acres sold, and average dollars per PI each month.
High-End Sales
| County | Sale Date | Acres | Total Sale Price | $/Acre | Tillable Acres | $/Tillable Acre | % Tillable | PI | $/PI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonough | 12/16/2025 | 59.99 | $1,043,826 | $17,400 | 59.99 | $17,400 | 100.00% | 142.3 | $122 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 40.00 | $710,000 | $17,750 | 38.44 | $18,470 | 96.10% | 140.3 | $127 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 79.93 | $1,418,758 | $17,750 | 79.00 | $17,959 | 98.84% | 140.3 | $127 |
| Grundy | 12/12/2025 | 80.94 | $1,456,920 | $18,000 | 78.90 | $18,465 | 97.48% | 137.7 | $131 |
| Bureau | 12/10/2025 | 33.53 | $606,893 | $18,100 | 33.00 | $18,391 | 98.42% | 140.2 | $129 |
December 2025 County Highlights
While overall transaction volume slowed in December, several counties stood out for either pricing strength or consistent buyer demand.
Central Illinois Continues to Lead on Pricing
Counties in Central Illinois, particularly those with strong soil profiles and high PI ratings, once again commanded premium values. Farms with PI scores in the upper 120s to low 130s consistently sold above the state average, reinforcing Central Illinois’ role as a pricing anchor for the state.
West-Central Illinois Shows Strong Buyer Competition
West-central counties saw multiple sales close near or above the December statewide average of $13,711 per acre. These results were driven by high tillable percentages and efficient farm layouts, which remain top priorities for today’s buyers.
Northern Illinois Remains Stable and Highly Competitive
Northern Illinois counties continued to demonstrate steady buyer interest, particularly on smaller to mid-sized tracts with excellent access and drainage. While fewer tracts traded hands, pricing remained firm on high-quality offerings.
Southern Illinois Brings More Value-Oriented Opportunities
Southern Illinois counties offered some of the more affordable entries into the Illinois farmland market in December. These tracts attracted buyers focused on yield improvement potential, recreational appeal, or long-term appreciation, rather than strictly top-tier PI.
Month-to-Month Comparison
Compared to November’s strong volume month, December reflected a typical year-end slowdown:
November 2025 Recap:
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8,056.73 acres sold
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$103,503,118 total sales
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$13,324 per acre
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128.6 average PI
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$102 per PI
What Changed in December:
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Volume declined sharply (seasonal effect)
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Per-acre pricing increased from $13,324 → $13,712
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Soil quality improved from 128.6 PI → 130.7 PI
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$/PI increased from $102 → $104
Takeaway: Fewer farms sold in December, but those that did were higher quality, and buyers were willing to pay a premium for strong soil productivity.
December 2024 vs. December 2025: Year-Over-Year Farmland Market Comparison
Here’s how December 2025 stacked up against the same month last year:
| Metric | Dec 2024 | Dec 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Sales Volume | $69,178,290 | $44,241,669 | ▼ $24,936,621 (-36.1%) |
| Acres Sold | 4,819.66 | 3,178.30 | ▼ 1,641.36 acres (-34.1%) |
| Tillable Acres | 4,604.88 | 3,064.65 | ▼ 1,540.23 acres (-33.5%) |
| Avg. $/Acre | $14,191 | $13,711.84 | ▼ $479 (-3.4%) |
| Avg. PI | 132.20 | 130.7 | ▼ 1.5 points |
| $/PI | $107.00 | $104.00 | ▼ $3.00 (-2.8%) |
What This Means:
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Sales volume dropped significantly, reflecting fewer sellers bringing land to market late in 2025.
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Prices softened modestly, down about 3–4% year-over-year.
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Soil quality dipped slightly, but remained historically strong.
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Buyers paid less per PI point than a year ago, signaling slightly more disciplined bidding.
Final Thoughts
What This Means for Landowners Considering Selling
Market Signals Heading Into 2026
December’s data reinforces a few important trends:
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High-quality farmland continues to outperform.
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Buyers remain active, but are more selective and value-driven.
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Pricing is holding up better than volume, indicating underlying market stability.
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Sellers with strong soil, high tillable percentages, and good locations are still seeing solid results.
Bottom line: While fewer farms changed hands to close out the year, the strength in pricing suggests the Illinois farmland market remains healthy as we head into 2026.
If you’re considering selling farmland in 2026:
Timing matters. Buyer demand remains strong for quality land.
Marketing and positioning are critical to maximize competitive bidding.
Understanding your farm’s PI, tillable ratio, and county trends can make a meaningful difference in final sale price.
Every farm is unique, and local market dynamics can vary widely by county. If you’d like a custom valuation or want to explore whether an auction or listing strategy makes the most sense for your property, I’m happy to help.
Rachel Tiffany
Auctioneer & Land Broker
Email: [email protected] | Phone: 515-954-8063
Assessing Your Farm’s Worth:
Illinois Land Market Analysis Appraisal Technique
Curious what your farm could sell for? We prepare market analysis for each of our farmland sellers to help you discover and learn what your farm is worth from our market based research and expertise. Fill out our form here to request a market analysis of your Illinois farmland or call us at 402-739-8696
RECENT FARMLAND SALES IN ILLINOIS
| County | Date Sold | Total Acres | Total Price | $/acre | Tillable Acres | $/Tillable Acre | % Tillable | Soil Score | $/PI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 12/01/2025 | 70.66 | $1,151,758.00 | $16,300.00 | 62.11 | $18,544.00 | 87.90 | 128.5 | $127.00 |
| LaSalle | 12/01/2025 | 117.60 | $1,681,680.00 | $14,300.00 | 112.42 | $14,959.00 | 95.60 | 143.4 | $100.00 |
| Pulaski | 12/02/2025 | 22.00 | $136,400.00 | $6,200.00 | 22.00 | $6,200.00 | 100.00 | 104.2 | $60.00 |
| Pulaski | 12/02/2025 | 78.00 | $471,900.00 | $6,050.00 | 77.53 | $6,087.00 | 99.40 | 104.4 | $58.00 |
| Marshall | 12/02/2025 | 100.00 | $1,540,000.00 | $15,400.00 | 96.98 | $15,880.00 | 96.98 | 141.4 | $109.00 |
| Pike | 12/03/2025 | 182.90 | $1,874,725.00 | $10,250.00 | 149.53 | $12,537.00 | 81.76 | 113.9 | $90.00 |
| Champaign | 12/05/2025 | 61.50 | $799,500.00 | $13,000.00 | 60.71 | $13,169.00 | 98.72 | 142.3 | $91.00 |
| Champaign | 12/05/2025 | 62.92 | $912,340.00 | $14,500.00 | 62.92 | $14,500.00 | 100.00 | 142.5 | $102.00 |
| Fulton | 12/05/2025 | 123.60 | $1,112,400.00 | $9,000.00 | 108.36 | $10,266.00 | 87.67 | 122.7 | $73.00 |
| Vermilion | 12/08/2025 | 53.62 | $804,300.00 | $15,000.00 | 50 | $16,086.00 | 93.25 | 136.5 | $110.00 |
| Hancock | 12/09/2025 | 93.32 | $723,230.00 | $7,750.00 | 92.00 | $7,861.00 | 98.59 | 117.6 | $66.00 |
| McDonough | 12/09/2025 | 98.23 | $1,070,707.00 | $10,900.00 | 92.77 | $11,542.00 | 94.44 | 128.4 | $85.00 |
| Warren | 12/09/2025 | 110.91 | $1,719,105.00 | $15,500.00 | 110.90 | $15,501.00 | 99.99 | 144.2 | $107.00 |
| Bureau | 12/10/2025 | 33.53 | $606,893.00 | $18,100.00 | 33.00 | $18,391.00 | 98.42 | 140.2 | $129.00 |
| Grundy | 12/11/2025 | 125.47 | $2,107,896.00 | $16,800.00 | 124.00 | $16,999.00 | 98.83 | 134.0 | $125.00 |
| Will | 12/12/2025 | 15.90 | $171,720.00 | $10,800.00 | 15.85 | $10,834.00 | 99.69 | 98.9 | $109.00 |
| Grundy | 12/12/2025 | 80.94 | $1,456,920.00 | $18,000.00 | 78.90 | $18,465.00 | 97.48 | 137.7 | $131.00 |
| Montgomery | 12/15/2025 | 49.75 | $328,350.00 | $6,600.00 | 40.07 | $8,194.00 | 80.54 | 112.5 | $59.00 |
| Montgomery | 12/15/2025 | 62.00 | $589,000.00 | $9,500.00 | 62.00 | $9,500.00 | 100.00 | 103.2 | $92.00 |
| Cass | 12/15/2025 | 130.11 | $2,120,793.00 | $16,300.00 | 128.31 | $16,529.00 | 98.62 | 138.1 | $118.00 |
| Cass | 12/15/2025 | 130.11 | $2,120,793.00 | $16,300.00 | 128.31 | $16,529.00 | 98.62 | 138.1 | $118.00 |
| Adams | 12/16/2025 | 28.50 | $202,350.00 | $7,100.00 | 27.53 | $7,350.00 | 96.60 | 108.3 | $66.00 |
| Bureau | 12/16/2025 | 35.04 | $529,104.00 | $15,100.00 | 31.20 | $16,958.00 | 89.04 | 140.6 | $107.00 |
| Adams | 12/16/2025 | 41.07 | $591,408.00 | $14,400.00 | 41.07 | $14,400.00 | 100.00 | 129.0 | $112.00 |
| McDonough | 12/16/2025 | 59.99 | $1,043,826.00 | $17,400.00 | 59.99 | $17,400.00 | 100.00 | 142.3 | $122.00 |
| Bureau | 12/16/2025 | 100.61 | $1,519,211.00 | $15,100.00 | 100.61 | $15,100.00 | 100.00 | 140.2 | $108.00 |
| Bureau | 12/16/2025 | 110.33 | $1,368,092.00 | $12,400.00 | 106.91 | $12,797.00 | 96.90 | 129.2 | $96.00 |
| McLean | 12/17/2025 | 80.00 | $928,000.00 | $11,600.00 | 77.20 | $12,021.00 | 96.50 | 136.0 | $85.00 |
| Bureau | 12/17/2025 | 156.76 | $2,069,232.00 | $13,200.00 | 156.76 | $13,200.00 | 100.00 | 137.6 | $96.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 37.32 | $541,140.00 | $14,500.00 | 37.32 | $14,500.00 | 100.00 | 126.7 | $114.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 40.00 | $684,000.00 | $17,100.00 | 40.00 | $17,100.00 | 100.00 | 138.8 | $123.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 40.00 | $710,000.00 | $17,750.00 | 38.44 | $18,470.00 | 96.10 | 140.3 | $127.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 59.41 | $950,560.00 | $16,000.00 | 58.08 | $16,366.00 | 97.76 | 140.2 | $114.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 79.58 | $1,360,818.00 | $17,100.00 | 79.58 | $17,100.00 | 100.00 | 126.2 | $135.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 79.93 | $1,418,758.00 | $17,750.00 | 79.00 | $17,959.00 | 98.84 | 140.3 | $127.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 124.98 | $1,937,190.00 | $15,500.00 | 124.98 | $15,500.00 | 100.00 | 138.9 | $112.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 140.71 | $2,392,070.00 | $17,000.00 | 138.64 | $17,254.00 | 98.53 | 139.2 | $122.00 |
| Macoupin | 12/18/2025 | 161.00 | $2,495,500.00 | $15,500.00 | 158.67 | $15,728.00 | 98.55 | 138.7 | $112.00 |
| Totals/Averages | 3,178.30 | $44,241,669.00 | $13,711.84 | 3,064.65 | $14,152.00 | 96.72 | 130.7 | $104.00 |
Navigating the Selling Process:
Tips for Selling Your Farm in Illinois
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