Fulton County, Illinois Farmland Sales: 2023–2025 Market Analysis

Fulton County presents one of the most dynamic price stories in Illinois West District. With 72 courthouse-verified sales from 2023 through early 2025, the county recorded a 37% jump in average price per acre from 2023 to 2024 — the largest year-over-year gain in the district — driven by a cluster of exceptional Harris Township bottomland transactions.

Market Overview

Fulton County's price history reflects a market that experienced a significant repricing event in 2024:

The wide spread between average and median prices in 2024 ($9,126 vs. $6,667) signals that the average is being pulled up by a small number of exceptional sales rather than a broad market-wide increase. The median — which is more resistant to outliers — rose a more modest 16.7%, from $5,716 to $6,667. This distinction matters for buyers and appraisers: the "market" for typical Fulton County ground is closer to $6,500–$7,500/acre, while the premium tier commands $20,000+.

The Harris Township Effect

The single most important factor in Fulton County's 2024 price surge was a pair of extraordinary Harris Township sales. In January 2024, two adjacent parcels of 184.39 acres (PI 140.3) and 70.98 acres (PI 141.3) sold for $24,103/acre and $24,090/acre respectively — among the highest per-acre prices recorded anywhere in Illinois West District. A third Vermont Township sale in September 2024 (255.85 acres, PI 140.1) at $23,907/acre reinforced the pattern.

These three sales — all featuring PI scores above 140 — represent the county's highest-quality bottomland ground, likely along the Illinois River corridor. At PI 140+, this is genuinely exceptional farmland capable of 220+ bushel corn yields in good years. The prices paid reflect both the scarcity of such ground and the depth of institutional buyer demand for top-tier Illinois farmland.

Township Analysis

Fulton County's diverse topography creates significant township-level price variation:

Lee Township's $11,319/acre average on a PI of 129.2 represents the strongest risk-adjusted value in the county — high productivity at a price below the exceptional Harris Township outliers. Cass Township, with the highest volume at 9 sales, represents the county's most liquid sub-market for buyers seeking mid-quality ground.

Productivity Index Profile

Fulton County's average PI of 107.8 places it in the lower-mid tier for western Illinois, similar to Adams County. The county's topography — a mix of Illinois River bottomland, upland prairies, and dissected terrain — creates a wide PI range from below 80 (steep timber ground) to above 140 (prime bottomland). This diversity means Fulton County is not a single market but several overlapping markets defined by soil quality.

Outlook

Fulton County's 2025 data (3 sales, avg $8,855/acre) is too limited to confirm a trend, but the early readings suggest the market has settled into the $7,000–$9,000 range for typical ground after the 2024 outlier-driven spike. Buyers seeking Fulton County exposure should distinguish carefully between the premium bottomland tier (PI 130+, $20,000+/acre) and the more accessible upland market (PI 95–115, $5,500–$9,000/acre).

Data sourced from Fulton County, Illinois courthouse records. All sales are arm's-length transactions verified against deed records.