Updated

Updated · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Aug 21

Illinois Farm Real Estate Hits $9,250 an Acre in 2026 as Gains Extend to 6th Year

Updated

Updated · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Aug 21

Illinois Farm Real Estate Hits $9,250 an Acre in 2026 as Gains Extend to 6th Year

1 articles · Updated · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Aug 21

$9,250 per acre was the average Illinois farm real estate value in 2026, up 3.6% from $8,930 in 2025 and marking a sixth straight annual increase.
Higher off-farm income, strong debt-to-asset ratios, tight land supply and continued outside investor interest helped lift values even as farm incomes have weakened over the past three years and are projected lower in 2026 and 2027.
Illinois values are now 29% above 2017 levels, but the state no longer leads the Corn Belt after Iowa reached $10,100 per acre and Ohio $9,650.
Corn Belt gains were broadly similar in 2026—Iowa rose 3.2%, Indiana 3.4%, Missouri 4.0% and Ohio 3.2%—showing land values stayed resilient across the region.

Sources

With farm incomes dropping, what hidden forces are pushing Illinois farmland values to a record $9,250 per acre in 2026?

As price-to-rent ratios hit historic highs, is Midwestern agricultural real estate facing a hidden bubble despite structurally tight supplies?

Could the booming demand for rural data centers and renewable energy permanently price young farmers out of the Corn Belt?

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