What an Acre of Kansas Land Is Worth in 2026

Land values in Kansas don’t move in a straight line—they respond to commodity markets, local development pressure, interest rates, and the limited supply of high-quality ground coming to market. Whether you’re buying farmland, valuing pasture, pricing a tract for a 1031 exchange, or weighing development potential near a metro area, the most accurate “price per acre” comes from pairing statewide benchmarks with county-level comps and property-specific details.

Kansas Land Values: What an Acre Costs Right Now

Kansas land prices vary sharply by region and intended use, but recent benchmarks show continued upward momentum—especially in eastern Kansas where demand is strongest. According to Frontier Farm Credit, the average dollar value of all benchmark farms in its dataset reached $5,684 per acre at the close of 2025. The same report notes that benchmark farmland values in eastern Kansas increased an average of 2.6% in the last six months of 2025 and are up 7.4% for the year 2025, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

Pasture and cropland benchmarks also advanced. Kansas pasture benchmarks increased an average of 2.1% in the last six months of 2025 and 4.4% for the year, according to Frontier Farm Credit. For row-crop buyers, cropland-only benchmarks in eastern Kansas gained 2.8% in the past six months and 8.6% in the past 12 months of 2025, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

How Kansas Fits Into the Broader Midwest Land Market

Regional context matters because Kansas competes for the same investor and operator dollars moving across the Midwest. Benchmark Midwest farmland values have increased 56.9% over the past five years through mid-2025, according to Farm Credit Services of America. Even within Frontier Farm Credit’s multi-state footprint, the trend stayed positive: benchmark values across eight states (including eastern Kansas) inched up 1.5% in the last six months and 2.9% for the year 2025, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

Supply, Demand, and Why Fewer Sales Can Still Mean Higher Prices

Pricing isn’t just about demand—it’s also about how many tracts actually trade hands. In eastern Kansas, the number of cropland tracts sold dropped 35.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to Frontier Farm Credit. When fewer high-quality tracts come to market, competitive bidding can keep values elevated—especially for parcels with strong soils, good access, and long-term optionality (cash rent potential today, development potential tomorrow).

What Impacts the Value of an Acre of Land in Kansas?

1) Location (Including Metro Spillover)

Location drives price because it determines both current income potential and future options. Land closer to growing metros can command a premium when buyers expect rezoning or infrastructure expansion. County-level averages illustrate just how wide the range can be: Johnson County land averages $47,937 per acre, according to Red Cedar Land, and Wyandotte County land averages $50,860 per acre, according to Red Cedar Land. Those figures reflect development pressure and scarcity more than traditional farm income alone.

2) Land Type: Cropland vs. Pasture vs. Transitional Ground

Two acres can sit a mile apart and carry different values if one is prime cropland, one is native grass, and one has a realistic path to residential or commercial use. The most recent benchmarks reinforce that distinction: pasture and cropland both rose in 2025, but cropland-only benchmarks in eastern Kansas posted stronger annual gains, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

3) Productivity and Soil Capability

In agricultural tracts, soil quality and consistent yield potential typically set the floor for value. Buyers commonly pay more for ground with proven performance, favorable slope, and fewer limitations. Soil maps, yield history, and local agronomic norms help justify a premium (or support a discount) versus nearby comps.

4) Access, Utilities, and Improvements

Legal and physical access, road frontage, and available utilities can move a property into a different buyer category. Improvements—such as fencing, irrigation components, water development, drainage work, outbuildings, and maintained internal roads—often reduce immediate capital needs and increase the pool of interested buyers.

5) Market Conditions (Rates, Rents, and Buyer Mix)

Interest rates influence affordability, while crop profitability and pasture demand influence income expectations. At the same time, buyer mix matters: owner-operators, investors, developers, and lifestyle buyers evaluate land differently. That mix helps explain why benchmark farms ended 2025 at $5,684 per acre even as transaction counts fell in parts of eastern Kansas, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

How to Estimate Your Kansas Acreage Value (Practical Steps)

• Start with credible benchmarks. Use recent regional trend data to understand direction and momentum. For example, eastern Kansas farmland benchmarks rose 2.6% in the last six months of 2025 and 7.4% for the year, according to Frontier Farm Credit.
• Pull local comps. Identify recent sales of similar land type (cropland, pasture, mixed use) within the same county and school district when possible.
• Adjust for property-specific differences. Account for soils, terraces/drainage, water, access, fencing, improvements, and any lease terms or possession timing.
• Evaluate optionality. If the tract sits in a growth corridor, compare it to nearby transitional land and consider zoning, frontage, and utility availability.

If you need a defensible number for financing, estate planning, or a serious listing strategy, an accredited appraiser can reconcile income potential, sales comps, and highest-and-best-use considerations into a single valuation conclusion.

Determining a Price Per Acre to Buy or Sell in Kansas

To set a realistic asking price (or offer price), treat statewide or regional averages as context—not the answer. Start with local comparable sales, then pressure-test your number against what buyers are doing right now. A key signal to watch is market liquidity: when fewer tracts sell—like the 35.4% drop in eastern Kansas cropland tract sales in 2025—pricing can become more sensitive to quality, access, and competition for rare listings, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

Seller Checklist: Pricing and Timing Considerations

• Decide what you’re optimizing for. Maximum price typically requires broad marketing and time; certainty and speed can require trade-offs.
• Document what makes your tract different. Soil data, yield history, water resources, and improvement records strengthen your position during negotiation.
• Plan for taxes and closing structure. Talk with a tax professional about capital gains and timing before you accept terms.
• Validate against the best local evidence. In high-demand metro-adjacent areas, county averages like Johnson ($47,937/acre) and Wyandotte ($50,860/acre) can anchor expectations—but only comparable sales confirm what buyers will pay for your specific tract, according to Red Cedar Land.

Final Thoughts

An acre of land in Kansas can be worth a few thousand dollars in one market and tens of thousands in another, depending on land type, location, and future use potential. Recent data points to continued strength—especially in eastern Kansas—where benchmarks rose through 2025 even as the number of cropland tracts sold fell. Use current benchmarks for direction, comparable sales for accuracy, and property-specific analysis for the final pricing decision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are Kansas land values still increasing?

In many areas, yes. Benchmark farmland values in eastern Kansas increased 2.6% in the last six months of 2025 and 7.4% for the year, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

What is the benchmark per-acre value for farms in Frontier Farm Credit’s data?

The average dollar value of all benchmark farms reached $5,684 per acre at the close of 2025, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

How did pasture and cropland perform in 2025?

Kansas pasture benchmarks increased 2.1% in the last six months of 2025 and 4.4% for the year, while cropland-only benchmarks in eastern Kansas gained 2.8% in the past six months and 8.6% in the past 12 months of 2025, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

Does fewer land sales mean prices will fall?

Not necessarily. In eastern Kansas, cropland tracts sold dropped 35.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, but benchmark values still rose—suggesting limited supply can support pricing when demand remains steady, according to Frontier Farm Credit.

How strong has Midwest farmland been over the last five years?

Benchmark Midwest farmland values increased 56.9% over the past five years through mid-2025, according to Farm Credit Services of America.

What are examples of high per-acre county averages in Kansas?

Johnson County land averages $47,937 per acre and Wyandotte County land averages $50,860 per acre, according to Red Cedar Land.