Emmet County Iowa Farmland Sales: 2026 Market Update

Emmet County, located in Northwest Iowa, has seen dynamic farmland sales activity through early 2026. This report provides a detailed analysis of market trends, CSR tier performance, and top transactions, offering valuable insights for stakeholders.

Emmet County, situated in Northwest Iowa within ISU District 1 and bordering Minnesota, continues to be a focal point for agricultural land transactions. LandSleuth has meticulously recorded 794 courthouse-verified sales in Emmet County, providing a robust dataset for analyzing market dynamics through early 2026.

Year-by-Year Trend (2021–2026)

The Emmet County farmland market has experienced notable fluctuations over the past five years. After a strong performance in 2022 and 2023, average prices per acre saw a slight decline in 2025, with early 2026 data indicating a further adjustment.

Year	Sales	Avg $/Acre	Range	Avg CSR2
2021	7	$7,183	$2,700–$9,732	73.4
2022	19	$11,645	$3,974–$15,090	73.9
2023	12	$12,301	$8,940–$13,842	80.9
2024	19	$11,173	$5,000–$18,750	75.6
2025	17	$10,391	$6,004–$12,096	77.9
2026 YTD	4	$8,936	$5,714–$13,343	60.8

From 2024 to 2025, the average price per acre in Emmet County decreased by -7.0%. The trend continued into early 2026, with a -14.0% year-over-year decline from 2025 to 2026 YTD, based on the limited sales recorded so far this year.

CSR2 Tier Analysis

Analyzing sales by Corn Suitability Rating (CSR2) tiers provides a clearer picture of value distribution across different land qualities. The data for 2025 and 2026 YTD reveals shifts in pricing for various CSR2 categories.

2025 CSR2 Tier Performance:

CSR2 75+ (13 sales): Averaged $11,082/acre
CSR2 55–74 (4 sales): Averaged $8,143/acre
CSR2 <55 (0 sales): No sales recorded in this tier for 2025.

2026 YTD CSR2 Tier Performance:

CSR2 75+ (1 sale): Averaged $13,343/acre
CSR2 55–74 (2 sales): Averaged $8,343/acre
CSR2 <55 (1 sale): Averaged $5,714/acre

While the average price for CSR2 75+ land in 2026 YTD shows a significant increase compared to 2025, it is based on a single transaction, suggesting caution in drawing broad conclusions from this limited data point.

Top Transactions

High-value transactions often highlight specific market strengths or unique property attributes. Here are the top sales for 2025 and 2026 YTD in Emmet County.

Top 5 Sales in 2025:

Date	Township	Acres	$/Acre	CSR2
Sep 30	Iowa Lake Twp	154.6	$12,096	79.0
Nov 3	Iowa Lake Twp	79	$12,025	83.5
Nov 19	Center Twp	116.6	$12,000	79.7
Nov 28	Swan Lake Twp	224.4	$11,838	84.0
Jan 6	Ellsworth Twp	75.17	$11,771	78.4

Top 3 Sales in 2026 YTD:

Date	Township	Acres	$/Acre	CSR2	Notes
Jan 15	Iowa Lake Twp	152.9	$13,343	80.8	Whitesell Est. → Rolling, Kyle
Jan 7	Iowa Lake Twp	77	$9,066	77.9
Feb 5	Twelve Mile Lake Twp	121.4	$7,619	69.3

The most recent sale recorded was on February 5, 2026, in Twelve Mile Lake Township, involving 121.4 acres at $7,619/acre with a CSR2 of 69.3.

Township Analysis

Farmland values can vary significantly by township, reflecting differences in soil quality, infrastructure, and local demand. For 2025, townships with at least one recorded sale showed the following average prices per acre:

Ellsworth: $11,771/acre
Center: $11,149/acre
Iowa Lake: $10,811/acre
Estherville: $9,914/acre
Armstrong Grove: $9,608/acre

These figures highlight the localized nature of farmland values within Emmet County, with Ellsworth Township leading in average price per acre among those with recorded sales in 2025.

Search Comparable Sales

For a comprehensive understanding of the Emmet County farmland market and to access detailed comparable sales data, visit LandSleuth.