Calhoun County Iowa Farmland Market Report: 2025–2026
The Land Sleuth
Calhoun County recorded 36 courthouse-verified farmland sales in 2025 and early 2026, with a median price of $12,317 per acre. Twin Lakes Township led the county at $14,396 per acre average, while the dataset's top transaction — a Union Township parcel scoring 87.6 CSR2 — reached $15,675 per acre.
Calhoun County Iowa Farmland Market Report: 2025–2026
Calhoun County is quintessential Iowa prairie — flat to gently rolling terrain, deep glacially-derived soils, and a landscape shaped almost entirely by the plow and the tile line rather than by river valleys or timber breaks. Situated in Iowa's West Central district, the county's open, well-drained fields give it a uniformly agricultural character that is reflected in its land market: buyers here are buying productivity, and the price they pay tracks closely with the CSR2 score underfoot. With 36 courthouse-verified farmland sales recorded between January 2025 and early 2026, Calhoun's market tells a nuanced story: high-quality ground in the county's best townships is holding firm above $13,000 per acre, while lower-CSR2 parcels in the $7,000–$10,000 range reflect the market's continued sensitivity to soil quality.
Market at a Glance
The 36 sales spanning 2025 and early 2026 produced a median price of $12,317 per acre and an average of $11,739 per acre, with individual transactions ranging from $7,274 to $17,476 per acre. The average CSR2 score across all sales was 80.4, reflecting a county where the majority of actively traded ground carries above-average productivity ratings.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Value |
|---|---|
| Total sales recorded | 36 |
| Median price per acre | $12,317 |
| Average price per acre | $11,739 |
| Highest price per acre | $17,476 |
| Lowest price per acre | $7,274 |
| Average CSR2 score | 80.4 |
| CSR2 range | 41.7 – 88.0 |
The spread between the high and low ends of the market — more than $10,000 per acre — underscores a pattern consistent with other West Central Iowa counties: buyers are paying a meaningful premium for ground that scores above 80 on the CSR2 scale, while lower-productivity parcels trade at a significant discount.
Township-by-Township Breakdown
Calhoun County's 18 townships vary considerably in soil quality and drainage infrastructure, and those differences are clearly reflected in the sale prices recorded over the past 14 months.
| Township | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Lakes | 3 | $14,396 | $12,460–$17,476 |
| Union | 2 | $14,238 | $12,800–$15,675 |
| Garfield | 2 | $13,593 | $13,586–$13,600 |
| Logan | 2 | $13,196 | $13,092–$13,300 |
| Calhoun | 6 | $12,813 | $11,909–$13,904 |
| Lake Creek | 3 | $12,008 | $10,036–$13,203 |
| Lincoln | 3 | $10,821 | $9,994–$12,317 |
| Cedar | 2 | $10,094 | $7,414–$12,773 |
| Greenfield | 5 | $10,133 | $7,414–$13,231 |
| Butler | 6 | $10,326 | $9,800–$11,373 |
| Jackson | 2 | $9,587 | $7,274–$11,900 |
Twin Lakes Township produced the highest average in the county at $14,396 per acre across three sales, including the dataset's top transaction at $17,476 per acre. Twin Lakes benefits from some of the county's deepest, most uniformly productive soils — a combination of high CSR2 scores and strong buyer demand that has consistently pushed prices above the county median.
Union Township came in second at $14,238 per acre average, anchored by a $15,675 per acre sale on ground scoring 87.6 CSR2 — among the highest soil quality ratings in the entire dataset. When buyers encounter CSR2 scores in the upper 80s in Calhoun County, they are willing to pay a meaningful premium over the county median.
Calhoun Township — the county seat township centered on Rockwell City — recorded six sales averaging $12,813 per acre, with the largest single transaction in the dataset: a 148-acre parcel that sold for $2,059,343 ($13,904/acre) on ground averaging 84.74 CSR2. The township's combination of scale, soil quality, and proximity to county infrastructure makes it one of the more active trading areas in the county.
Jackson Township, at the lower end of the table, averaged $9,587 per acre across two sales. One of those transactions — $7,274 per acre on ground scoring just 41.7 CSR2 — represents the dataset's lowest price per acre and illustrates how dramatically soil quality affects value in a county where the best and worst ground can differ by more than 45 CSR2 points.
The 2026 Picture: Early Signals
Eight sales have been recorded in early 2026, and they offer a useful early read on where the market is heading. The eight transactions averaged $11,047 per acre — modestly below the full-year 2025 average — with prices ranging from $9,695 to $13,600 per acre.
| Sale Code | Township | $/Acre | CSR2 | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-13-04-001 | Cedar | $12,773 | 88.0 | 40.8 |
| 2026-13-04-002 | Butler | $9,800 | 77.0 | 52.5 |
| 2026-13-04-003 | Lincoln | $9,994 | 86.0 | 35.9 |
| 2026-13-04-004 | Lake Creek | $10,036 | 83.7 | 152.7 |
| 2026-13-04-005 | Greenfield | $9,695 | 70.6 | 77.0 |
| 2026-13-04-006 | Jackson | $11,900 | 83.9 | 59.3 |
| 2026-13-04-007 | Garfield | $13,600 | 86.4 | 57.5 |
| 2026-13-04-008 | Butler | $10,579 | 83.6 | 49.6 |
The standout in the early 2026 data is the Cedar Township sale: 40.8 acres scoring 88.0 CSR2 — the highest soil quality rating in the entire 2025–2026 dataset — that traded at $12,773 per acre. That figure is somewhat below what comparable high-CSR2 ground fetched in 2025 (Union Township's 87.6 CSR2 parcel sold for $15,675/acre), which may reflect the smaller parcel size, buyer-specific circumstances, or early-year market softening. It bears watching as more 2026 transactions are recorded.
The Garfield Township sale at $13,600 per acre on 86.4 CSR2 ground is more consistent with 2025 pricing for high-quality parcels, suggesting that demand for premium ground remains intact even as the broader market shows some moderation.
What the $/CSR2 Metric Reveals
Price per CSR2 point is the most useful normalizing metric for comparing farmland values across soil quality tiers. In Calhoun County's 2025–2026 courthouse-verified dataset, the $/CSR2 range runs from approximately $87 per point (lower-quality ground in the $7,000–$8,000/acre range) to $178 per point (the Union Township high-CSR2 sale). The median lands near $150 per CSR2 point for well-scored parcels in the 80–88 range.
For appraisers and buyers building comp sets, this metric is particularly valuable when evaluating parcels where gross acreage and net tillable acreage diverge — a common situation in Calhoun County, where some parcels carry non-tillable acres in the form of road right-of-way, waterways, or timber ground that reduce the effective productive base.
Calhoun County in Regional Context
Calhoun County is part of Iowa's West Central district, bordered by Pocahontas County to the north, Webster County to the east, Greene County to the south, and Sac County to the west. The county's West Central location places it in a band of Iowa farmland where CSR2 scores are generally strong but where drainage tile investment and field-by-field soil variability create meaningful price differences within a relatively small geographic area.
Compared to neighboring Greene County — where 2025 courthouse-verified sales averaged in the $10,000–$12,000 per acre range — Calhoun's top-tier townships are trading at a premium that reflects both higher average CSR2 scores and strong buyer competition for limited inventory in the county's most productive areas.
Using the LandSleuth Database for Calhoun County Comps
Every sale referenced in this report is searchable in the LandSleuth database. To build a Calhoun County comp set, navigate to the Search page and filter by:
- State: Iowa
- County: Calhoun
- Year range: 2025–2026 for current market; 2022–2024 for recent trend context
- Township: Narrow to a specific township to isolate comparable soil quality tiers
For appraisers working on parcels in Twin Lakes, Union, or Garfield townships, filtering to those specific townships and sorting by CSR2 score will surface the most directly comparable transactions. The $/CSR2 point column in the search results provides an immediate normalized comparison across parcels of different sizes and soil quality levels.
All sale data in this report is courthouse-verified by Greg Conrad. Prices reflect recorded deed transactions; non-arm's-length sales, estate transfers, and partial-interest conveyances are excluded from the analysis where identified. For questions about specific transactions or to submit additional Calhoun County sale data, use the Submit Data page.
Related Reading
Written by
Greg Conrad
The Land Sleuth
Greg Conrad has spent more than a decade sourcing courthouse-verified farmland sales data across Iowa. LandSleuth is built on that same standard of accuracy — every record verified, every price real.
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Calhoun County Iowa Farmland Market Report: 2025–2026
Calhoun County Iowa Farmland Market Report: 2025–2026
Calhoun County is quintessential Iowa prairie — flat to gently rolling terrain, deep glacially-derived soils, and a landscape shaped almost entirely by the plow and the tile line rather than by river valleys or timber breaks. Situated in Iowa's West Central district, the county's open, well-drained fields give it a uniformly agricultural character that is reflected in its land market: buyers here are buying productivity, and the price they pay tracks closely with the CSR2 score underfoot. With 36 courthouse-verified farmland sales recorded between January 2025 and early 2026, Calhoun's market tells a nuanced story: high-quality ground in the county's best townships is holding firm above $13,000 per acre, while lower-CSR2 parcels in the $7,000–$10,000 range reflect the market's continued sensitivity to soil quality.
Market at a Glance
The 36 sales spanning 2025 and early 2026 produced a median price of $12,317 per acre and an average of $11,739 per acre, with individual transactions ranging from $7,274 to $17,476 per acre. The average CSR2 score across all sales was 80.4, reflecting a county where the majority of actively traded ground carries above-average productivity ratings.
| Metric | 2025–2026 Value |
|---|---|
| Total sales recorded | 36 |
| Median price per acre | $12,317 |
| Average price per acre | $11,739 |
| Highest price per acre | $17,476 |
| Lowest price per acre | $7,274 |
| Average CSR2 score | 80.4 |
| CSR2 range | 41.7 – 88.0 |
The spread between the high and low ends of the market — more than $10,000 per acre — underscores a pattern consistent with other West Central Iowa counties: buyers are paying a meaningful premium for ground that scores above 80 on the CSR2 scale, while lower-productivity parcels trade at a significant discount.
Township-by-Township Breakdown
Calhoun County's 18 townships vary considerably in soil quality and drainage infrastructure, and those differences are clearly reflected in the sale prices recorded over the past 14 months.
| Township | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Lakes | 3 | $14,396 | $12,460–$17,476 |
| Union | 2 | $14,238 | $12,800–$15,675 |
| Garfield | 2 | $13,593 | $13,586–$13,600 |
| Logan | 2 | $13,196 | $13,092–$13,300 |
| Calhoun | 6 | $12,813 | $11,909–$13,904 |
| Lake Creek | 3 | $12,008 | $10,036–$13,203 |
| Lincoln | 3 | $10,821 | $9,994–$12,317 |
| Cedar | 2 | $10,094 | $7,414–$12,773 |
| Greenfield | 5 | $10,133 | $7,414–$13,231 |
| Butler | 6 | $10,326 | $9,800–$11,373 |
| Jackson | 2 | $9,587 | $7,274–$11,900 |
Twin Lakes Township produced the highest average in the county at $14,396 per acre across three sales, including the dataset's top transaction at $17,476 per acre. Twin Lakes benefits from some of the county's deepest, most uniformly productive soils — a combination of high CSR2 scores and strong buyer demand that has consistently pushed prices above the county median.
Union Township came in second at $14,238 per acre average, anchored by a $15,675 per acre sale on ground scoring 87.6 CSR2 — among the highest soil quality ratings in the entire dataset. When buyers encounter CSR2 scores in the upper 80s in Calhoun County, they are willing to pay a meaningful premium over the county median.
Calhoun Township — the county seat township centered on Rockwell City — recorded six sales averaging $12,813 per acre, with the largest single transaction in the dataset: a 148-acre parcel that sold for $2,059,343 ($13,904/acre) on ground averaging 84.74 CSR2. The township's combination of scale, soil quality, and proximity to county infrastructure makes it one of the more active trading areas in the county.
Jackson Township, at the lower end of the table, averaged $9,587 per acre across two sales. One of those transactions — $7,274 per acre on ground scoring just 41.7 CSR2 — represents the dataset's lowest price per acre and illustrates how dramatically soil quality affects value in a county where the best and worst ground can differ by more than 45 CSR2 points.
The 2026 Picture: Early Signals
Eight sales have been recorded in early 2026, and they offer a useful early read on where the market is heading. The eight transactions averaged $11,047 per acre — modestly below the full-year 2025 average — with prices ranging from $9,695 to $13,600 per acre.
| Sale Code | Township | $/Acre | CSR2 | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-13-04-001 | Cedar | $12,773 | 88.0 | 40.8 |
| 2026-13-04-002 | Butler | $9,800 | 77.0 | 52.5 |
| 2026-13-04-003 | Lincoln | $9,994 | 86.0 | 35.9 |
| 2026-13-04-004 | Lake Creek | $10,036 | 83.7 | 152.7 |
| 2026-13-04-005 | Greenfield | $9,695 | 70.6 | 77.0 |
| 2026-13-04-006 | Jackson | $11,900 | 83.9 | 59.3 |
| 2026-13-04-007 | Garfield | $13,600 | 86.4 | 57.5 |
| 2026-13-04-008 | Butler | $10,579 | 83.6 | 49.6 |
The standout in the early 2026 data is the Cedar Township sale: 40.8 acres scoring 88.0 CSR2 — the highest soil quality rating in the entire 2025–2026 dataset — that traded at $12,773 per acre. That figure is somewhat below what comparable high-CSR2 ground fetched in 2025 (Union Township's 87.6 CSR2 parcel sold for $15,675/acre), which may reflect the smaller parcel size, buyer-specific circumstances, or early-year market softening. It bears watching as more 2026 transactions are recorded.
The Garfield Township sale at $13,600 per acre on 86.4 CSR2 ground is more consistent with 2025 pricing for high-quality parcels, suggesting that demand for premium ground remains intact even as the broader market shows some moderation.
What the $/CSR2 Metric Reveals
Price per CSR2 point is the most useful normalizing metric for comparing farmland values across soil quality tiers. In Calhoun County's 2025–2026 courthouse-verified dataset, the $/CSR2 range runs from approximately $87 per point (lower-quality ground in the $7,000–$8,000/acre range) to $178 per point (the Union Township high-CSR2 sale). The median lands near $150 per CSR2 point for well-scored parcels in the 80–88 range.
For appraisers and buyers building comp sets, this metric is particularly valuable when evaluating parcels where gross acreage and net tillable acreage diverge — a common situation in Calhoun County, where some parcels carry non-tillable acres in the form of road right-of-way, waterways, or timber ground that reduce the effective productive base.
Calhoun County in Regional Context
Calhoun County is part of Iowa's West Central district, bordered by Pocahontas County to the north, Webster County to the east, Greene County to the south, and Sac County to the west. The county's West Central location places it in a band of Iowa farmland where CSR2 scores are generally strong but where drainage tile investment and field-by-field soil variability create meaningful price differences within a relatively small geographic area.
Compared to neighboring Greene County — where 2025 courthouse-verified sales averaged in the $10,000–$12,000 per acre range — Calhoun's top-tier townships are trading at a premium that reflects both higher average CSR2 scores and strong buyer competition for limited inventory in the county's most productive areas.
Using the LandSleuth Database for Calhoun County Comps
Every sale referenced in this report is searchable in the LandSleuth database. To build a Calhoun County comp set, navigate to the Search page and filter by:
- State: Iowa
- County: Calhoun
- Year range: 2025–2026 for current market; 2022–2024 for recent trend context
- Township: Narrow to a specific township to isolate comparable soil quality tiers
For appraisers working on parcels in Twin Lakes, Union, or Garfield townships, filtering to those specific townships and sorting by CSR2 score will surface the most directly comparable transactions. The $/CSR2 point column in the search results provides an immediate normalized comparison across parcels of different sizes and soil quality levels.
All sale data in this report is courthouse-verified by Greg Conrad. Prices reflect recorded deed transactions; non-arm's-length sales, estate transfers, and partial-interest conveyances are excluded from the analysis where identified. For questions about specific transactions or to submit additional Calhoun County sale data, use the Submit Data page.
Related Reading