The Pros and Cons of Buying Land in North Carolina in 2026

Buying land in North Carolina can be a smart move if you align the parcel with your goals—farming, long-term appreciation, recreation, or future development. The state’s mix of growing metros and working rural landscapes creates real opportunity, but it also brings location-specific risks like storm exposure, zoning friction, and competition for prime tracts.

Get to Know North Carolina (What Makes the Market Unique)

North Carolina offers a rare combination of strong job hubs, nationally recognized universities, and a deep agricultural footprint. Agriculture remains a major economic driver, and it shapes what land is worth, how it’s taxed, and how it can be used.

For example, North Carolina planted 950,000 acres of corn in 2025, highlighting how much land is still actively tied to production and commodity cycles, according to the USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview.

The Advantages of Buying Land in North Carolina

1) Diverse Land Uses: From Cropland to Timber to Lifestyle Property

If you want options, North Carolina delivers. Productive farmland, hunt and timber tracts, mountain cabins, and coastal acreage all exist within one state—often within a few hours’ drive.

North Carolina’s production numbers show how broad that base is. In 2025, the state produced 130,980,000 bushels of corn grain from 885,000 harvested acres at an average of 148 bushels per acre, according to the USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview. The state also reported 589,000 acres of hay in 2025, which matters if you’re evaluating pasture potential, equine use, or mixed farm operations (again, per the USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview).

2) Strong Ag Infrastructure (Which Can Support Rural Land Values)

Working agricultural regions tend to attract supporting businesses—equipment dealers, processors, trucking routes, and labor networks—which can strengthen land demand beyond pure recreational value.

North Carolina’s livestock footprint is significant. The state had 7,900,000 hogs in inventory as of the first of December 2025, according to the USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview. Poultry remains big too: turkey production was 28,000,000 head in 2025, per the same USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview.

3) Appreciation Tailwinds in a State With Real Asset Demand

Land values don’t rise everywhere at the same pace, but North Carolina has multiple engines that can support appreciation: in-migration to job centers, growth corridors between metros, and ongoing demand for rural home sites.

On the agricultural side, pricing has also trended upward. In 2025, North Carolina’s agricultural real estate value averaged $5,470 per acre, up 5.4% from 2024, according to USDA via DTN Progressive Farmer.

4) Potential Tax Advantages for Qualified Agricultural Land

Taxes can make or break land ownership costs, especially if you’re holding a property long-term. North Carolina’s present-use value (PUV) program can significantly reduce taxable value for qualifying agricultural, horticultural, and forest land.

In the 2026 schedule, the present-use value for top agricultural land (Class I, 153B) is capped at $1,200 per acre, according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue 2026 Use-Value Manual. If you’re buying land with farming or timber intent, this is a key due-diligence item to evaluate early.

Factors to Consider Before Buying Land in North Carolina (The Tradeoffs)

1) Coastal Storm and Flood Risk

North Carolina’s coastline is beautiful—and exposed. Hurricanes and tropical storms can drive higher insurance costs, stricter building requirements, and flood-related limitations that extend inland along rivers and low-lying areas. Always check flood maps, elevation, drainage, and historical storm impacts before you buy.

2) Competition and Pricing Pressure in High-Demand Corridors

In fast-growing markets near major job centers, developable parcels can move quickly. When inventory tightens, buyers often face bidding pressure or have to compromise on access, site work, utilities, or setbacks.

3) Development Approvals Can Take Time

If your plan involves subdividing, rezoning, or building anything beyond a straightforward homesite, expect a longer timeline. Permitting can involve county planning departments, environmental reviews, driveway approvals, septic evaluations, and utility coordination. Build that reality into your budget and deadlines.

4) Land Use Conflicts and Changing Rural Landscapes

Even rural counties are evolving. Some buyers want “pure farmland,” while others see opportunity in renewable energy leases or nearby industrial growth. Those shifting priorities can create tension—and they can also influence what neighbors do with adjacent parcels.

Utility-scale solar is one example. In North Carolina, solar fields occupy about 34,000 acres of agricultural land out of 40,000 total acres, according to Carolina Public Press. Depending on location, that trend may affect viewsheds, road traffic during construction, or local land-lease competition.

5) Ownership and Market Dynamics (Including Foreign Holdings)

Most buyers focus on comps and zoning, but broader ownership patterns can affect market sentiment and policy direction. If you’re investing long-term, it’s worth paying attention to how land is being acquired and tracked.

Foreign holdings account for 3.5% of approximately 700,000 acres of agricultural land in North Carolina, according to the Carolina Journal.

Tips for Buying Land Wisely in North Carolina

• Define the use first. Recreational land, a future homesite, a farm, and a development play all require different due diligence.
• Verify access and boundaries. Confirm deeded access, survey status, easements, and encroachments before closing.
• Run a buildability checklist. Septic suitability, well potential, wetlands, flood risk, driveway permits, and utility availability should be investigated early.
• Confirm tax structure and eligibility. If you’re counting on present-use value, confirm qualification requirements and timelines with the county.
• Study county rules. Zoning, minimum lot sizes, subdivision ordinances, and short-term rental rules vary widely.
• Price the “real cost,” not just the acreage. Clearing, grading, roadwork, and bringing power can outweigh the purchase price on raw land.
• Move quickly on the right parcel. In competitive areas, preparedness (financing, proof of funds, attorney ready) can win deals.
• Read HOA/POA documents closely. Restrictions can limit livestock, outbuildings, RVs, home businesses, and even fence types.

Should You Invest in North Carolina Land?

North Carolina can be an excellent land-buying state because it combines lifestyle appeal with real economic activity across both metros and rural counties. The strongest opportunities typically go to buyers who match the parcel to a clear plan—then confirm the details: access, utilities, soil, taxes, permitting, and neighboring land use.

If you want affordability with upside, look beyond the hottest zip codes and focus on “path of growth” areas—places with improving infrastructure, proximity to employment centers, and a track record of steady demand. At the same time, treat risk management as part of the purchase: storm exposure near the coast, approval timelines for development, and the realities of changing rural land use (including solar and large-scale agriculture).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is North Carolina still an agricultural state?

Yes. In 2025 alone, North Carolina planted 950,000 acres of corn and harvested 885,000 acres to produce 130,980,000 bushels at 148 bushels per acre, according to the USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview. It also reported 589,000 acres of hay and major livestock numbers—including 7,900,000 hogs in inventory and 28,000,000 head of turkey production—per the same USDA/NASS 2025 State Agriculture Overview.

What is farmland worth in North Carolina right now?

Values vary by region and parcel quality, but North Carolina’s agricultural real estate value averaged $5,470 per acre in 2025, which was up 5.4% from 2024, according to USDA via DTN Progressive Farmer.

How does present-use value (PUV) affect property taxes?

For qualifying land, PUV can reduce taxable value compared to market value. In the 2026 schedule, the present-use value for top agricultural land (Class I, 153B) is capped at $1,200 per acre, according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue 2026 Use-Value Manual.

Is solar taking over farmland in North Carolina?

Solar is growing, but the footprint has context. Utility-scale solar fields occupy about 34,000 acres of agricultural land out of 40,000 total acres in North Carolina, according to Carolina Public Press.

How much North Carolina farmland is foreign-owned?

Foreign holdings account for 3.5% of approximately 700,000 acres of agricultural land in the state, according to the Carolina Journal.

Final Thoughts

North Carolina land can reward buyers who do disciplined due diligence and think in timelines measured in years—not weeks. The upside often comes from buying the right tract before an area becomes obvious to everyone else, while still managing the practical realities: climate risk, permitting complexity, taxes, and evolving land uses.

If you want a property that holds intrinsic value—productive, buildable, usable, and positioned near demand—North Carolina remains one of the more compelling states to consider.