A 436.66-acre farm in Osceola County sold for an average of $18,895 per acre at an April 10, 2025, auction, according to Successful Farming. That figure describes one property, not Iowa farmland as a whole. Iowa State University’s 2025 statewide survey put the average at $11,549 per acre as of November.
What sold for $18,895 an acre?
The reported sale covered 436.66 acres in Osceola County, in northwest Iowa, and totaled $8,250,789. Successful Farming reported that 428.66 acres were cropland, divided into six tracts. The property’s weighted Corn Suitability Rating 2 (CSR2) was 92.07, indicating the sale involved highly rated farmland. These transaction details come from the publication’s report; they are not an independent appraisal of the property.
The average also obscures differences among the individual tracts. The two tracts described as the most exceptional, together totaling 118.71 acres, sold for $22,900 per acre, according to Successful Farming. The $18,895 figure is the reported average across the full auction, not a price that every acre or tract fetched.
How does the auction compare with Iowa’s average?
Iowa State University’s 2025 Land Value Survey estimated the statewide average at $11,549 per acre as of November 2025. That is $7,346 less per acre than the reported Osceola auction average. The two figures answer different questions: one is the average price reported for a particular auction in April; the other is a statewide survey estimate for November.
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| Measure | Value | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Osceola County auction, April 10, 2025 | $18,895 per acre; $8,250,789 total for 436.66 acres | One reported property sale, according to Successful Farming. |
| Iowa statewide survey, November 2025 | $11,549 per acre | Annual statewide estimate from Iowa State University’s 2025 Land Value Survey. |
The statewide survey estimate rose 0.7%, or $83 per acre, from 2024 in nominal dollars, but declined 1.8% after adjusting for inflation. The 2025 value remained 2.4% below the 2023 peak of $11,835 per acre. In 2015 dollars, the 2025 average was $8,475 per acre, according to the survey overview from Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (2025 survey overview).
Why the sale price and statewide estimate differ
A single auction reflects the specific land, tracts, timing and bidding conditions involved. The Osceola property’s reported CSR2 rating and the particularly high prices for its two strongest tracts help explain why its auction average should not be applied to every Iowa farm.
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The Iowa State University survey is a separate kind of measure. It gathers estimates from agricultural professionals familiar with land-market conditions, including appraisers, farm managers, agricultural lenders and people familiar with actual sales. The survey is designed to track broad trends, geographic price relationships and factors affecting the market; it is not a record of every transaction or an appraisal of the Osceola property. The official survey portal provides county and crop-reporting-district information and historical material. The survey publication listing says the 2025 report includes county averages and comparisons with earlier years; Iowa State University Extension lists it as a free, four-page publication (2025 Iowa Land Value Survey).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to compare when judging a farmland price
To assess whether another sale is a useful comparison, match the details that can materially affect value rather than relying on a statewide headline figure:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Location: Compare the same county or crop reporting district, not just the state.
- Soil quality: Check the CSR2 rating and how much the parcels differ in productivity.
- Land mix: Separate cropland from pasture, timber, buildings and other acres when those figures are available.
- Parcel size and layout: Tract size and configuration can affect buyer interest and per-acre results.
- Date and sale conditions: A transaction at one point in the market is not automatically comparable with a later auction.
- Type of figure: Distinguish an individual sale from a professional survey estimate.
- Inflation basis: Nominal prices and inflation-adjusted values tell different stories about purchasing power over time.
Iowa State University economist Rabail Chandio, who is responsible for the survey, said that changes under 5% often reflect variation across counties and crop reporting districts rather than a consistent statewide trend. Describing the 2025 market, Chandio said, “It wasn’t a boom or a bust, just a very uneven adjustment, with the story changing as you move across the state,” in the university’s December 9, 2025, survey release.
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