Georgia Land Market Insights & Pricing (2026)

Hannah Whitaker

If you want to sell your land in Georgia, you need a realistic idea of your parcel’s value. This includes understanding local market conditions, recent land market trends, and the average prices buyers are paying for right now. 

In this guide, we’ll break down trends by land type, regional differences (statewide and county-level patterns), and provide actionable tips for landowners looking to sell their Georgia land. (Note: All values are in US dollars, and data comes from reliable sources like the USDA and market reports.)

Overview of Georgia's Land Market

Types of Land You Can Sell In Each Georgia Region

South Georgia

This region offers wide, open land that’s ideal for farming, timber operations, and rural living.

The area is known for its flat landscapes, rich soil, and large acreage tracts, making it attractive to buyers looking for agricultural fields, pine plantations, hunting properties, or quiet country homesites. Sellers often benefit from the steady demand for farmland and recreational land in this region.

Central Georgia

Central Georgia combines workable farmland, wooded acreage, and growing suburban areas.

With a mix of rolling hills and small cities, this region appeals to buyers seeking everything from farm estates to residential lots and commercial parcels near Macon and Warner Robins. Sellers here often attract a broad range of buyers because of the region’s balance of rural space and economic growth.

North Georgia

This region appeals to buyers who want mountain views (e.g. blue ridge mountains), forested land, or peaceful rural retreats.

The region’s natural beauty—creeks, ridgelines, lakes, and wooded slopes—makes it popular for cabin sites, recreational properties, and long-term land investment. Sellers often get interest from both local buyers and out-of-state buyers looking for mountain getaways.

Northwest Georgia

Northwest Georgia offers a balance of rolling hills, open farmland, and easy access to growing communities.

Buyers are often drawn to this region for its mix of timberland, pastureland, rural homesites, and development-ready land near cities like Rome and Dalton. With its strong transportation routes and blend of rural and suburban land, sellers in this area benefit from steady interest across multiple land types.

Southeast Georgia

Southeast Georgia is known for its coastal influence—marshlands, pine flatwoods, and riverfront areas—along with strong demand for recreational and residential land.

Buyers often look for properties near outdoor attractions, small coastal towns, or commuting distance to Savannah and Brunswick. Sellers here typically attract interest from investors, homebuilders, and buyers wanting land close to the coast.

West Georgia

West Georgia includes farmland, woodlands, and suburban growth spreading from Carrollton, LaGrange, and Columbus.

Buyers are drawn to this region for its affordable rural properties, pastureland, timber tracts, and development opportunities along the Alabama border. Sellers often benefit from strong demand from both local families and investors looking for land near expanding communities.

Farmland Market Values and Trends

Let's take a look at Georgia's farmland market.

Strong but Slowing Growth

Farmland in Georgia has become more valuable than ever.

The USDA’s data show Georgia farm real estate (which includes all farmland and farm buildings) averaged about $4,350 per acre in 2023, up from $3,960 in 2022. That was an increase of nearly 10% in one year, reflecting robust demand.

By 2024, the average farm real estate value rose to roughly $4,500 per acre, and it climbed another 4.9% into 2025. 

In other words, Georgia farmland values are still rising, but the pace has slowed – from almost 12% annual jumps around 2022 to around 5% yearly as we approach 2026. This cooling indicates the market is stabilizing from the extreme growth earlier in the decade.

Cropland vs. Pasture

Not all farmland is equal – cropland (fields used to grow crops) tends to command different prices than pasture (open land for grazing).

In 2023, all cropland in Georgia averaged about $4,200 per acre, up from $3,820 in 2022. Quality cropland with irrigation is especially valuable – irrigated cropland brought around $4,800/acre in 2023, whereas non-irrigated cropland averaged about $3,950 per acre. This gap makes sense because irrigated land can produce more reliably.

Interestingly, pasture land (often used for cattle or horses) was reported at roughly $4,600/acre in 2023, slightly higher than general cropland. This high pasture value may reflect that some pasture parcels have potential for other uses (such as hobby farms or future development).

Overall, Georgia’s agricultural land values have been bolstered by strong farm incomes in 2021–2022 and the fact that there’s only so much land available. Even as crop prices leveled off and interest rates rose, the limited supply of farmland and continued buyer interest are keeping prices firm going into 2026.

Cash Rent Trend

For background, cash rent is what farmers pay to lease land.

As a side note, rents have also inched up, though slower than land prices. In Georgia, renting cropland cost about $153 per/in 2024, a small increase from $149 in 2023.

Rent growth tends to lag behind land values – when land prices soar, rents catch up more gradually. For landowners, higher land values mean greater equity, but they also mean buyers will be more selective and sensitive to prices (since borrowing costs are higher now).

Heading into 2026, experts expect Georgia farmland values to remain stable or only rise slightly – the era of sharp spikes may be over for now, but farmland remains a strong asset supported by long-term confidence in agriculture and very limited expansion of farmland.

Timberland and Recreational Market Value Insights

Timberland Values

Georgia is a leading timber-producing state, and timberland (forested land) is a significant part of the market.

For the past few years, Southern timberland values held fairly steady around $1,800/acre on average, then began climbing above $2,000 by 2022 as demand picked up.

In recent sales data, Georgia timber tracts have been selling around $2,800 per acre on average (as of 2024). This average comes from over a hundred timber property sales statewide, typically large tracts of a few hundred acres each. Timberland prices tend to be lower than farmland because the land’s immediate income (from timber harvests) is often less than what cropland can generate annually.

However, timberland isn’t just valued for wood – many buyers also prize these tracts for hunting and recreation. Georgia’s forests are popular for deer and turkey hunting, so wooded acreage with good wildlife or water features can fetch a premium from recreational buyers.

Recreational Land Demand

The pandemic era saw a surge of interest in rural getaways, and Georgia was no exception.

Recreational land – think wooded lots with creeks, hunting land, or mountain retreats – has been selling briskly. In parts of the state within reach of metro areas, small recreational tracts often sell in the $7,000 to $10,000/acre range. For example, in Heard County (a rural county west of Atlanta), wooded parcels with creeks were selling for about $7,500–$9,000/acre in late 2024.

Such tracts appeal to buyers looking for weekend cabins, hunting camps, or simply a slice of nature. These buyers pay for scenic and privacy value, not just agricultural productivity. As a result, land with desirable recreational features (like river frontage, stocked ponds, or mountain views up north) can command prices near or even above farmland levels. 

By contrast, a plain timber tract without special features, especially in a very remote location, might sell closer to $3,000/acre as a pure timber investment. Heading into 2026, timberland values are stable to rising – supported by steady lumber prices and recreation demand – but they vary widely based on location and features. 

Properties closer to cities or with high-quality timber stock will trend on the higher end of the price range.

Urban and Development Land

Sky-High Urban Land Prices

In Georgia’s urban and fast-growing areas, land prices per acre can reach stratospheric levels compared to rural land. Metro Atlanta counties exemplify this trend.

In core suburban counties (like around Atlanta metro), land has been listed for tens of thousands of dollars per acre on average. For instance, Cherokee County (north of Atlanta) has an average land price around $113,000/acre according to recent market data. 

In Chatham County (Savannah area on the coast), land averages even higher – roughly $135,000/acre – alongside strong buyer demand and growth prospects. These figures are far above the statewide rural averages (remember, Georgia farmland is ~$4,500/acre). 

The reason is that urban land is usually sold in smaller parcels and often zoned for residential or commercial development. A single acre in a city or near a major highway can support multiple home lots or a commercial site, driving up its value. 

For example, a quarter-acre residential lot in a desirable town might sell for $80,000 – which equates to $320,000/acre if scaled up. Thus, when we say “urban land $100k+ per acre,” it reflects that scarce land in city limits or prime suburbs commands a premium.

Transitional and Industrial Development Land

A big story in Georgia’s land market has been the rise of transitional land values – areas that were rural but are being bought up for new industry or housing. Major economic development projects in Georgia (like new car manufacturing plants and battery factories) have created land rushes in certain counties.

Manufacturers in the automotive and aerospace sectors are scouting large sites, which drives up land prices near strategic locations. For example, Bryan County (near Savannah) landed a massive Hyundai electric vehicle plant; land that was once quiet timber or farmland there saw values skyrocket as suppliers and developers began buying up nearby acreage. 

Transitional tracts along key highways, railroads, and ports have become hot commodities. Land that might have sold for $10,000 an acre a few years ago could go for several times that if it’s situated at a highway interchange eyed for a new distribution center. 

We see similar trends around metro Atlanta’s fringes – areas just beyond the current suburbs where population growth is headed. Land poised for subdivision development (turning into new home communities) can fetch prices well above its agricultural worth. 

For instance, in parts of west Georgia, land near I-85 with subdivision potential was reaching $12,000–$15,000 per acre recently, much higher than purely rural land in that same county. 

In summary, for 2026 the development land market in Georgia is very location-dependent: if your land is in the path of progress (near a city, highway, or new project), its value may far exceed typical farm or forest values. 

Conversely, land far from growth centers remains comparatively cheap (some rural Georgia counties have land selling at $5,000–$6,000/acre or less for lack of development demand).

Regional and County-Level Market Differences

Georgia’s 159 counties show dramatic differences in market activity. Two key metrics highlight this: price per acre and turnover rate (how quickly land is selling in a given area). 

Generally, north Georgia and metro-area counties are more active and expensive, while some south Georgia counties are slower and cheaper.

High-Demand “Hot” Markets

Small counties with unique draws or proximity to growth have seen land inventory move very fast. For example, Schley County (a rural county in central Georgia) recorded an astonishing 1000% turnover ratio in a recent analysis. (Turnover ratio means the percentage of listed properties that sold within a year – 1000% indicates the equivalent of ten times the county’s listing inventory sold in that period, a sign of extremely high demand in a small market.)

Other hot markets include northern mountain counties like Fannin County (81% turnover) and Union County (nearly 80%) – these are popular for cabin sites and vacation homes. Likewise, booming suburban counties around Atlanta – Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, etc. – show turnover well above 50–70%, meaning most land listings get snapped up within the year.

In these areas, sellers often see land parcels go under contract quickly and close to their asking prices. High turnover and high price appreciation (often 10%+ yearly in such counties recently) give sellers strong leverage in negotiations.

Slower “Buyer’s Market” Areas

In contrast, many rural counties in Southern Georgia have far fewer land buyers. 

Data shows counties like Quitman, Taliaferro, Clay, Calhoun, Baker, and Randolph often have turnover ratios below 15–20%, meaning land can sit on the market for many months.

These are sparsely populated areas with economies focused on agriculture. With less development and population growth, land sells more slowly and prices remain modest. 

For instance, a farm tract in one of these slow-turnover counties might be priced around $3,000–$6,000 per acre, and even at that level it may take a while to find the right buyer. The average days on market often exceeds 120 days (four months or more) in these areas.

Sellers in such regions need to be patient and price competitively, because overpricing land in a soft market can result in it sitting unsold for years.

The flip side is that buyers looking in these counties have more negotiating power and time for due diligence – it’s a “breathing room” market where finding a bargain is more feasible.

The Metro vs. Rural Divide

The geographic pattern is clear: Metro Atlanta and coastal markets (Savannah) are the priciest and fairly active, north Georgia mountains and certain mid-state counties are middle-ground with good activity and moderate prices, and rural south Georgia is slower with the lowest prices. 

As one report noted, land values range from about $6,000/acre in the most rural areas to over $35,000 per acre in urban areas on average. 

Local factors also play a role: a county with a new manufacturing plant or one known for prime farmland can buck the regional trend. But broadly, if you know what county your land is in, you can gauge whether it’s in a high-demand area or a slow market. This helps set realistic expectations on price and how long it might take to sell.

Tips for Selling Land in Georgia

If you’re a landowner planning to sell in 2026, here are some actionable tips to help you succeed in Georgia’s land market:

  • Price your land realistically
  • Highlight your land’s best uses
  • Use quality marketing (make it look good)
  • Choose the right time and outline
  • Be ready to answer buyer questions

We also have an extremely comprehensive guide on how to sell your land in Georgia.

By following these tips, land sellers can maximize their chances of a smooth and profitable sale. 

Remember that Georgia’s land market in 2026 is generally in your favor as a seller (values are high!), but success still comes down to understanding your local market and presenting your property in the best light.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the land market differ across various regions of Georgia?

Land demand and pricing vary widely by region of Georgia, with mountain areas, coastal zones, and agricultural counties each attracting different types of buyers. Understanding these regional differences helps sellers price their property more effectively.

2. What is the current median price per acre for land in Georgia?

In 2026, the median price per acre reflects a combination of rural affordability and rising prices near major metros. While values differ by land type and location, most sellers use statewide trends as a baseline before comparing nearby county sales.

3. How important is proper valuation when selling land?

Accurate valuation is crucial because land prices can differ sharply between urban-adjacent parcels, farmland, timberland, and recreational tracts. A professional assessment helps sellers avoid underpricing their property or sitting on the market too long.

4. Should I work with real estate agents when selling land?

Partnering with real estate agents who specialize in land real estate can be helpful, since they understand county zoning rules, soil reports, access issues, utilities, and buyer expectations. However, many landowners still choose to sell directly, especially for cash sales.

5. Which Georgia counties are most active for buying land in 2026?

Several Georgia counties show strong interest from people buying land, especially those near growing metro areas or along major transportation corridors. Active counties typically have a mix of rural acreage, development potential, and favorable pricing compared to larger cities.

Get The Most Value Out Of Your Georgia Land

Georgia’s land market entering 2026 is robust and diverse. 

For landowners looking to sell, the key takeaway is that market trends can vary county by county, so local insight is crucial.

Overall, Georgia’s economy and population are growing, which bodes well for land demand. While the rapid price hikes of the early 2020s have calmed, the outlook for 2026 is positive: most experts anticipate land values will remain firm or see modest growth, rather than any downturn. 

Keep informed on trends and apply best practices when selling, and you, as landowners in the Peach State, can confidently navigate the market.

About the Author

Hannah Whitaker

Hanna Whitaker is a Tennessee-based land sale processing specialist with years of experience guiding owners through valuations, title issues, and smooth cash closings. When she’s not coordinating with title companies, she enjoys hiking the Smokies and gardening. Her practical expertise makes her a trusted contributor for Sell Land Cash.

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