McDonough County, Illinois Farmland Sales: 2023–2026 Market Analysis
The Land Sleuth
McDonough County carries the highest average PI (116.6) in Illinois West District and has surged to $12,581/acre in early 2026 — a 26.7% rebound from the 2025 average of $9,932. New Salem Township averages $15,700/acre on PI 139.9, and a Scotland Township parcel cleared $27,000/acre in 2025.
McDonough County, Illinois Farmland Sales: 2023–2026 Market Analysis
McDonough County stands out in Illinois West District for two reasons: it carries the highest average Productivity Index (PI) of any county in the dataset at 116.6, and its 2026 early data has surged to $12,581/acre — the strongest annual average in the county's four-year record. With 154 courthouse-verified sales from 2023 through early 2026, McDonough County offers a deep, reliable dataset for appraisers, lenders, and investors tracking western Illinois's premium farmland market.
Market Overview
McDonough County's price history shows a notable dip in 2025 followed by a sharp recovery in 2026. After averaging $11,426/acre across 25 sales in 2023 and $11,262/acre across 35 sales in 2024, the 2025 market softened to $9,932/acre on a high volume of 77 transactions. Early 2026 data (17 sales through the first quarter) has rebounded strongly to $12,581/acre — the highest annual average in the dataset and a 26.7% gain over 2025.
| Year | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Min $/Acre | Max $/Acre | Avg PI | Total Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25 | $11,426 | $1,980 | $22,054 | 120.6 | 2,950 |
| 2024 | 35 | $11,262 | $2,443 | $22,872 | 121.1 | 3,095 |
| 2025 | 77 | $9,932 | $805 | $27,000 | 112.4 | 7,029 |
| 2026 | 17 | $12,581 | $3,094 | $19,740 | 120.5 | 1,179 |
The 2025 volume of 77 sales — more than double any prior year — is the defining feature of the dataset. This surge likely reflects a combination of estate settlements, retirement-driven sales, and sellers taking advantage of the still-active market before further rate uncertainty. The lower 2025 average PI (112.4 vs. 120–121 in prior years) suggests that a larger proportion of lower-quality ground came to market that year, which partially explains the lower average price. The 2026 recovery to $12,581/acre, with an average PI back above 120, indicates that the premium tier of McDonough County ground is pricing at new highs.
Productivity Index Context
McDonough County's average PI of 116.6 is the highest of any county in the Illinois West District dataset. This reflects the county's geography: the broad, gently rolling uplands of central McDonough County feature deep, productive soils with high organic matter content, and the county lacks the steep, timber-interspersed terrain that drags PI averages down in Schuyler or Brown counties. The county's PI profile is more uniform than most of its neighbors, meaning that even "average" McDonough County ground is competitive with premium ground elsewhere in the district.
The PI-to-price relationship in McDonough County is pronounced. Ground scoring above 130 PI has consistently cleared $20,000/acre or more, while the county's mid-range parcels (PI 110–125) cluster in the $10,000–$14,000 range. The county's high average PI means that a majority of transactions fall into this premium category, giving the market a strong price floor relative to other Illinois West District counties.
Township Breakdown
McDonough County's 154 sales span a wide range of townships, with Lamoine leading in transaction volume. The township-level data reveals dramatic variation, with New Salem and Scotland townships commanding prices nearly double the county average:
| Township | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Avg PI |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem | 18 | $15,700 | 139.9 |
| Scotland | 7 | $15,113 | 130.4 |
| Sciota | 11 | $14,267 | 136.8 |
| Chalmers | 8 | $12,132 | 102.1 |
| Mound | 7 | $11,348 | 131.1 |
| Macomb | 10 | $10,456 | 118.6 |
| Blandinsville | 10 | $10,114 | 118.7 |
| Tennessee | 12 | $7,894 | 109.5 |
| Lamoine | 28 | $7,960 | 105.4 |
| Colchester | 8 | $7,714 | 93.8 |
New Salem Township's $15,700/acre average on an average PI of 139.9 is the highest township average in the entire Illinois West District dataset. This reflects the concentration of the county's best soils in the township's broad upland areas, where Class A ground with PI scores above 135 is common. Scotland Township, with an average PI of 130.4, averages $15,113/acre — confirming that the county's eastern townships consistently command the highest prices.
Chalmers Township is an outlier in the other direction: an average PI of 102.1 yet an average price of $12,132/acre suggests that factors beyond soil productivity — proximity to infrastructure, buyer competition, or parcel size — are driving prices above what PI alone would predict.
Notable Sales
McDonough County's benchmark transaction is a 2025 Scotland Township sale: a 34.4-acre parcel with PI 132 sold for $27,000/acre — the highest price per acre recorded in the entire Illinois West District dataset across all 17 counties. The buyer, RWE Clean Energy Land, suggests this transaction may reflect renewable energy (solar or wind) land acquisition rather than pure agricultural value, which would explain the premium above comparable agricultural sales.
Excluding that outlier, the county's top agricultural transactions cluster in the $21,000–$23,000 range. A 2024 New Salem Township sale (58.5 acres, PI 142) cleared $22,872/acre, and a 2023 Mound Township sale (156.6 acres, PI 140.2) reached $22,054/acre. These transactions confirm that McDonough County's highest-PI ground consistently commands prices at the top of the western Illinois market.
What's Driving the 2026 Recovery
The 2026 acceleration to $12,581/acre appears to reflect a return to the county's premium-tier pricing after the 2025 volume surge brought lower-quality ground to market. With the 2026 average PI back above 120 and the minimum price floor rising to $3,094/acre (vs. $805/acre in 2025), the 2026 dataset suggests that the sellers bringing ground to market this year are offering higher-quality parcels. The county's proximity to Macomb (the regional agricultural hub and home of Western Illinois University) and its strong grain infrastructure continue to attract competitive buyers.
Outlook
McDonough County's combination of the highest average PI in Illinois West District and a 2026 early average of $12,581/acre positions it as the premium market in the region. The key question for the remainder of 2026 is whether the volume will remain elevated (as in 2025) or normalize to the 25–35 range seen in 2023–2024. If volume normalizes, reduced supply combined with strong buyer demand for the county's high-PI ground should support prices at or above $12,000/acre. The county's 154 verified sales across four years provide the deepest comparable dataset for any single county in Illinois West District, making it an essential reference for regional appraisers and lenders.
All sales data is courthouse-verified from McDonough County, Illinois recorder records. Productivity Index (PI) values are sourced from Illinois soil survey data. Analysis covers 154 arm's-length sales from 2023 through early 2026.
Browse all McDonough County sales on LandSleuth.
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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McDonough County, Illinois Farmland Sales: 2023–2026 Market Analysis
McDonough County, Illinois Farmland Sales: 2023–2026 Market Analysis
McDonough County stands out in Illinois West District for two reasons: it carries the highest average Productivity Index (PI) of any county in the dataset at 116.6, and its 2026 early data has surged to $12,581/acre — the strongest annual average in the county's four-year record. With 154 courthouse-verified sales from 2023 through early 2026, McDonough County offers a deep, reliable dataset for appraisers, lenders, and investors tracking western Illinois's premium farmland market.
Market Overview
McDonough County's price history shows a notable dip in 2025 followed by a sharp recovery in 2026. After averaging $11,426/acre across 25 sales in 2023 and $11,262/acre across 35 sales in 2024, the 2025 market softened to $9,932/acre on a high volume of 77 transactions. Early 2026 data (17 sales through the first quarter) has rebounded strongly to $12,581/acre — the highest annual average in the dataset and a 26.7% gain over 2025.
| Year | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Min $/Acre | Max $/Acre | Avg PI | Total Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 25 | $11,426 | $1,980 | $22,054 | 120.6 | 2,950 |
| 2024 | 35 | $11,262 | $2,443 | $22,872 | 121.1 | 3,095 |
| 2025 | 77 | $9,932 | $805 | $27,000 | 112.4 | 7,029 |
| 2026 | 17 | $12,581 | $3,094 | $19,740 | 120.5 | 1,179 |
The 2025 volume of 77 sales — more than double any prior year — is the defining feature of the dataset. This surge likely reflects a combination of estate settlements, retirement-driven sales, and sellers taking advantage of the still-active market before further rate uncertainty. The lower 2025 average PI (112.4 vs. 120–121 in prior years) suggests that a larger proportion of lower-quality ground came to market that year, which partially explains the lower average price. The 2026 recovery to $12,581/acre, with an average PI back above 120, indicates that the premium tier of McDonough County ground is pricing at new highs.
Productivity Index Context
McDonough County's average PI of 116.6 is the highest of any county in the Illinois West District dataset. This reflects the county's geography: the broad, gently rolling uplands of central McDonough County feature deep, productive soils with high organic matter content, and the county lacks the steep, timber-interspersed terrain that drags PI averages down in Schuyler or Brown counties. The county's PI profile is more uniform than most of its neighbors, meaning that even "average" McDonough County ground is competitive with premium ground elsewhere in the district.
The PI-to-price relationship in McDonough County is pronounced. Ground scoring above 130 PI has consistently cleared $20,000/acre or more, while the county's mid-range parcels (PI 110–125) cluster in the $10,000–$14,000 range. The county's high average PI means that a majority of transactions fall into this premium category, giving the market a strong price floor relative to other Illinois West District counties.
Township Breakdown
McDonough County's 154 sales span a wide range of townships, with Lamoine leading in transaction volume. The township-level data reveals dramatic variation, with New Salem and Scotland townships commanding prices nearly double the county average:
| Township | Sales | Avg $/Acre | Avg PI |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem | 18 | $15,700 | 139.9 |
| Scotland | 7 | $15,113 | 130.4 |
| Sciota | 11 | $14,267 | 136.8 |
| Chalmers | 8 | $12,132 | 102.1 |
| Mound | 7 | $11,348 | 131.1 |
| Macomb | 10 | $10,456 | 118.6 |
| Blandinsville | 10 | $10,114 | 118.7 |
| Tennessee | 12 | $7,894 | 109.5 |
| Lamoine | 28 | $7,960 | 105.4 |
| Colchester | 8 | $7,714 | 93.8 |
New Salem Township's $15,700/acre average on an average PI of 139.9 is the highest township average in the entire Illinois West District dataset. This reflects the concentration of the county's best soils in the township's broad upland areas, where Class A ground with PI scores above 135 is common. Scotland Township, with an average PI of 130.4, averages $15,113/acre — confirming that the county's eastern townships consistently command the highest prices.
Chalmers Township is an outlier in the other direction: an average PI of 102.1 yet an average price of $12,132/acre suggests that factors beyond soil productivity — proximity to infrastructure, buyer competition, or parcel size — are driving prices above what PI alone would predict.
Notable Sales
McDonough County's benchmark transaction is a 2025 Scotland Township sale: a 34.4-acre parcel with PI 132 sold for $27,000/acre — the highest price per acre recorded in the entire Illinois West District dataset across all 17 counties. The buyer, RWE Clean Energy Land, suggests this transaction may reflect renewable energy (solar or wind) land acquisition rather than pure agricultural value, which would explain the premium above comparable agricultural sales.
Excluding that outlier, the county's top agricultural transactions cluster in the $21,000–$23,000 range. A 2024 New Salem Township sale (58.5 acres, PI 142) cleared $22,872/acre, and a 2023 Mound Township sale (156.6 acres, PI 140.2) reached $22,054/acre. These transactions confirm that McDonough County's highest-PI ground consistently commands prices at the top of the western Illinois market.
What's Driving the 2026 Recovery
The 2026 acceleration to $12,581/acre appears to reflect a return to the county's premium-tier pricing after the 2025 volume surge brought lower-quality ground to market. With the 2026 average PI back above 120 and the minimum price floor rising to $3,094/acre (vs. $805/acre in 2025), the 2026 dataset suggests that the sellers bringing ground to market this year are offering higher-quality parcels. The county's proximity to Macomb (the regional agricultural hub and home of Western Illinois University) and its strong grain infrastructure continue to attract competitive buyers.
Outlook
McDonough County's combination of the highest average PI in Illinois West District and a 2026 early average of $12,581/acre positions it as the premium market in the region. The key question for the remainder of 2026 is whether the volume will remain elevated (as in 2025) or normalize to the 25–35 range seen in 2023–2024. If volume normalizes, reduced supply combined with strong buyer demand for the county's high-PI ground should support prices at or above $12,000/acre. The county's 154 verified sales across four years provide the deepest comparable dataset for any single county in Illinois West District, making it an essential reference for regional appraisers and lenders.
All sales data is courthouse-verified from McDonough County, Illinois recorder records. Productivity Index (PI) values are sourced from Illinois soil survey data. Analysis covers 154 arm's-length sales from 2023 through early 2026.
Browse all McDonough County sales on LandSleuth.