The Lay of the Land Market Report remains the definitive authority on Arkansas land values.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR, July 30, 2026 – New analysis of verified 2025 Arkansas land transactions shows a market moving in different directions: farmland gained momentum, recreational demand remained resilient, and development-ready land in Northwest Arkansas commanded significant premiums as infrastructure widened the pricing gap between properties.
Saunders Real Estate’s Lay of the Land® Market Report found that Arkansas cannot be viewed as one uniform land market. Farmland, timberland, recreational properties, poultry farms, and transitional land each responded to distinct regional and economic forces in 2025.
“Arkansas cannot be viewed as a single real estate market, but rather as a collection of completely distinct regions operating under one state line,” said Dean Saunders, Founder and Managing Director of Saunders Real Estate. “Buyers are more disciplined and selective, but when a well-positioned property is priced right, it moves.”
Powered by Saunders Real Estate’s proprietary Atlas mapping and market intelligence platform, the report compiles and analyzes verified Arkansas land transactions that closed in 2025. The data provides a closer look at how location, land use, productivity, infrastructure, and recreational attributes are shaping the Arkansas land market entering 2026.
Arkansas Farmland Builds Momentum
Arkansas farmland experienced stronger activity in 2025 compared with the previous year. Verified sales totaled 79,873 acres and approximately $512 million in sales volume, with a reported statewide average of roughly $5,535 per acre.
The Arkansas Delta remained the center of the state’s agricultural land market. The region accounted for 61,171 acres across 167 transactions, generating more than $397.4 million in sales volume.
Demand continued to favor high-quality irrigated ground with strong soils, dependable water access, efficient drainage, and proven yields. The reported statewide average includes both tillable and non-tillable portions of properties, meaning prime cultivated acreage may carry values noticeably above the blended figures.
Despite continued pressure from commodity prices and input costs, Arkansas farmland remains supported by the state’s agricultural productivity, conservation incentives, and long-term demand for high-quality agricultural assets.
According to the Lay of the Land Market Report, Arkansas farmland averaged about $5,535 per acre in 2025.
Hunting and Recreational Land Remain Resilient
Hunting and recreational land continued to be one of Arkansas’ most active rural property segments. Saunders verified 398 transactions covering 69,347 acres and totaling approximately $267 million in sales volume.
Although the segment experienced modest softening compared with 2024, well-located and well-managed properties remained competitive. Cash buyers continued to pursue high-quality properties and were willing to pay for premium attributes, including wildlife habitat quality, water features, timber composition, access, location, and existing improvements.
The Arkansas Delta maintained its position as one of the country’s premier waterfowl markets, with 15,389 acres traded at a reported regional average of $6,081 per acre. North Arkansas recorded the greatest number of recreational transactions, with 172 sales covering 26,880 acres and generating more than $92.1 million in volume.
The divide between premium recreational properties and lower-quality tracts is becoming more pronounced. Buyers remain willing to pay for proven habitat and infrastructure, but are showing less willingness to stretch on properties requiring substantial additional investment.
Poultry Farms Reward Operational Quality
Arkansas’ established poultry industry continued to support demand for income-producing farm properties. The report identified approximately 24 poultry farm transactions totaling nearly $64 million in sales volume.
Unlike most rural land categories, poultry farm values are driven less by acreage and more by income potential, integrator contracts, production history, and the condition of the operation.
Modern farms that comply with integrator specifications and have strong contracts continue to command premium pricing. Older operations or farms requiring significant upgrades are trading at a discount, creating a growing separation between high-performing and outdated facilities.
As buyers place greater emphasis on operational efficiency and long-term viability, well-maintained poultry farms remain one of the more resilient income-producing segments of the Arkansas land market.
Arkansas Timberland Faces Industry Pressure
Saunders Real Estate verified 108 timberland transactions covering 64,524 acres in 2025, with a reported statewide average of $3,598 per acre.
South Arkansas remained the center of the state’s commercial timberland market, accounting for 42,778 acres across 52 transactions and approximately $97.8 million in sales volume.
Arkansas’ timber industry continues to face challenges from mill closures, lower housing starts, increasing lumber production costs, imported wood products, and logger availability. Those factors have contributed to flat or declining stumpage prices in several product categories.
The Lay of the Land Market Report has recorded 64,524 acres of Arkansas imberland sold in 2025.
Northwest Arkansas Growth Drives Transitional Land Values
As Northwest Arkansas continues to rank among the nation’s fastest-growing regions, population growth around Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville is reshaping the region’s land market.
Across Washington and Benton counties, Saunders Real Estate tracked 26 transitional land transactions covering 2,061 acres and totaling approximately $97.6 million in sales volume. The average price reached $61,124 per acre. After removing the highest and lowest 10% of transactions, the adjusted average was $53,923 per acre.
Pricing ranged from approximately $10,000 to $228,000 per acre, demonstrating the significant differences between development-ready properties and land intended for a longer-term hold.
Sewer access remains one of the strongest drivers of Northwest Arkansas land values. Properties with available capacity or a clear path to utility service are commanding premiums, while tracts without defined infrastructure solutions are taking longer to sell and facing greater pricing pressure.
Builders and developers are also placing more emphasis on topography, development costs, lot yield, and entitlement potential. As a result, two nearby properties can carry dramatically different values depending on their infrastructure and development timelines.
Arkansas Land Market Becomes More Property-Specific
Across Arkansas, the report points to a land market that remains active but is becoming increasingly selective and property-specific.
The strongest demand is concentrated around land with clear fundamentals: productive soils and irrigation in the Delta, established habitat in recreational markets, modern infrastructure on poultry farms, merchantable timber and mill access in South Arkansas, and utilities and development potential near growing population centers.
For landowners, pricing expectations must reflect the conditions affecting their particular property rather than broad statewide averages. For buyers and investors, opportunities remain available, but success increasingly depends on understanding the market forces operating within each region and property category.
Farmland, recreational property, poultry operations, timberland, and transitional acreage each face different opportunities and pressures. As buyers become more disciplined, location, productivity, infrastructure, and long-term usability will continue to determine which Arkansas properties attract the strongest interest in the current year.
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About Saunders Real Estate
Saunders Real Estate is a leading land and commercial real estate brokerage serving buyers, sellers, investors, and landowners across the Southeastern United States for 30 years. With over 100 advisors and offices in major U.S. markets including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, we specialize in large-acreage land transactions, commercial property sales and leasing, and property management.
To reflect our legacy and continued growth, Saunders Real Estate operates through two divisions – Saunders Land and Saunders Commercial. Our expertise spans agriculture, conservation, recreation, residential development, and commercial real estate, supported by specialized services such as forestry, land management, and investment acquisitions.
Today, Saunders Real Estate is recognized as a trusted authority in the region, delivering exceptional results through experienced leadership, innovative strategies, and a client-focused approach.