Edgar County, Illinois
2024 Land Sales Report
In Edgar County, land values rose again in 2024, but the first half of 2025 suggests a shift toward steadier pricing.
If you’d like to get specific land values on your own property or a farm near you for 2025, please contact Matt Rhodes at (217) 251-7067 or Kyle Ogden at (217) 369-3306.
Request a Land Values ReportAverage Price of Land*
$14,179/acre
Jan. – Dec. 2024*
As high as $17,412/acre
in 2024*
Land Market Commentary & Local Trends
Overall, the average price of farmland was $14,179/acre and the price per productivity index point was $104.92 in 2024 based on the sales data. It is important to note that in 2024 there have been farmland sales as high as $17,412 per acre.
Since 1977, the Geswein Farm & Land Team has been advising landowners to be stewards of the land and make decisions based on most current, accurate, and relevant data. The information in this report can provide you with a rough estimate of your property’s value; however, understanding the specific characteristics of your property and how they compare to the other sales will provide the most accurate value of your property. Additionally, properties sold by land brokers via auctions or listings consistently outperformed individual to individual transactions and properties sold by traditional home realtors.
By The Numbers
According to Land.com, nearly 1,000 acres of land went up for sale in Edgar County, Illinois, with listings totaling close to $8 million. The county ranks 76th out of Illinois’s 102 counties for the amount of land currently on the market. Through the Land Network Comparable Sales Program, two properties in the county were recorded as sold, with a combined value of $223,000. Paris had the most available land listings, making it a central spot for buyers to watch. Covering about 623 square miles, Edgar County is the 33rd largest county in Illinois and sits right in the heart of the state’s Central Illinois region.
The most recent USDA farmland census reveals that Edgar County, Illinois, has 682 farms managing approximately 325,000 acres of farmland. The average farm size is a healthy 477 acres, and the vast majority of land–about 92%–is devoted to cropland, with smaller areas used for pasture, woodland, and other purposes. Farmers are also making strides toward sustainability: roughly 25% use no-till, 29% reduced tillage, 26% intensive tillage, and 8% have adopted cover crop practices to help keep the soil in good shape. Interestingly, on farms led by female producers, their operations typically span around 376 acres.
Overview of Edgar County Agriculture
Location and Geography: Edgar County, Illinois, sits along the state’s eastern border with Indiana, with Paris as its county seat. The landscape is mostly flat to gently rolling, dominated by fertile prairie soils ideal for row-crop farming.
Major Crops:
- Corn: a leading crop in Edgar County, flourishing in its fertile prairie soils and serving as a foundation of local agricultural production.
- Soybeans: extensively grown, playing a key role in crop rotation systems and providing versatile uses from food to industrial products.
- Forage crops (hay and haylage): cultivated in smaller areas, essential for supporting local livestock and enriching the soil through rotation.
- Wheat: makes up a modest portion of the county’s crop mix, often used in rotation strategies to maintain soil structure and health.
Edgar County, Illinois, boasts a strong agricultural heritage rooted in its fertile prairie soils and favorable growing conditions. The county’s farms are dominated by row crop production, with corn and soybeans serving as the primary commodities, while smaller acreages are devoted to wheat and forage crops to support livestock and maintain soil health. The region’s flat to gently rolling terrain, coupled with a well-established infrastructure for storage and transportation, makes it an ideal environment for high-yield, efficient farming operations. Generational farming is common in the county, with many producers utilizing modern precision agriculture practices to enhance productivity while preserving soil quality.
The land market in Edgar County reflects the area’s stable and productive agricultural base, with demand fueled by both local farmers seeking to expand operations and outside investors attracted to the county’s consistent crop performance and long-term value potential. Farmland here is often viewed as a secure, income-producing asset, and competition for quality tracts can be strong, especially those with high soil productivity ratings and good access to transportation routes. As a result, listings in the area tend to draw steady interest, underscoring the enduring appeal of Edgar County’s farmland in the broader regional market.
History & Background of Edgar County, Illinois
County Seat: Paris
Townships: Brouilletts Creek / Buck / Edgar / Elbridge / Embarrass / Grandview / Hunter / Kansas / Paris / Prairie / Ross / Shiloh / Stratton / Symmes / Young America
History: Established in 1823; Named for John Edgar, an Irish-born officer in the Royal Navy who emigrated to Illinois.
Population: 16,334
Cities & Towns: Paris / Chrisman / Brocton / Hume / Kansas / Metcalf / Redmon / Vermilion / Edgar / Isabel / Logan / Nevins / Oliver / Patton / Raven / Scottland / Woodyard
Acreage: 398,720
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the following crop statistics have been reported for Edgar County, Illinois.
The 2022 Ag Census for Edgar County, Illinois, reported the following crop statistics:
Number of farms: 682
Land in farms (acres): 325,023
Average farm size (acres): 477
Total market value of products sold: $363,463,000
Government payments: $1,992,000
Farm-related income: $11,827,000
Total farm production expenses: $230,940,000
Net cash farm income: $146,343,000
Sources / Citations:
Source 1:
“United States Department of Agriculture.” USDA, www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Illinois/Publications/County_Estimates/index.php#:~:text=Access%20Quick%20Stats%20Lite,to%20NASS%20Surveys%20and%20Programs. Accessed 2 July 2025.
Source 2:
“USDA.” 2022 Census of Agriculture County Profile, www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Illinois/cp17045.pdf. Accessed 2 July 2025.
*The transaction and land sales data/information contained in this report was obtained from publicly available sources and sales disclosures deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed, no liability for accuracy, errors or omissions is assumed by Geswein Farm & Land Realty, LLC
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