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

Morgan County occupies a distinctive position in Illinois West District: second only to McDonough County in average price per acre, yet with a more volatile price history that reflects both the exceptional quality of its best ground and the diversity of its landscape. With 57 courthouse-verified sales from 2023 through early 2025, Morgan County's data tells a story of a premium market experiencing significant repricing in 2025.

Market Overview

Morgan County's price history shows the most dramatic year-over-year swings in the district:

The 2024 decline to $9,071/acre (a 31.6% drop from 2023) followed by a 2025 surge to $15,163/acre (a 67.1% recovery) reflects the small sample sizes and the outsized influence of individual transactions in a county with 17–30 sales per year. The 2025 median of $16,396/acre — higher than the average — indicates that the majority of 2025 sales were at or above the mean, with a few lower-priced outliers pulling the average down.

Productivity Index Advantage

Morgan County's average PI of 123.2 and median PI of 127.8 place it firmly in the upper tier of Illinois West District counties. The county's soils — predominantly Muscatine, Sable, and Tama silt loams on nearly level to gently rolling terrain near Jacksonville — are among the most productive in the region. The county's central Illinois location, at the transition between the Illinois River valley and the upland prairies, gives it access to both high-PI bottomland and productive upland ground.

This PI advantage directly explains Morgan County's price premium. At $12,342/acre average versus $9,485 for Knox County (PI 112.7), the market is pricing approximately $300–$350 per PI point — consistent with the broader Illinois farmland market.

Township Analysis

Morgan County's township-level data reveals extreme geographic concentration of value:

Alexander Township's $19,430/acre average on a PI of 139.4 is extraordinary — among the highest township-level averages in the entire Illinois West District dataset. Jacksonville Township, with 10 sales at $16,077/acre (PI 131.8), is the county's most liquid premium sub-market. The contrast with Franklin Township ($6,939/acre, PI 110.8) illustrates the county's bifurcated market structure.

Notable 2025 Transactions

The 2025 data includes several exceptional sales that anchor the year's high average. The top sale was a 25.0-acre Alexander Township parcel at $25,000/acre (PI 140.3) — the highest per-acre price in the county's three-year dataset. Two October 2023 sales in Woodson Township (77.24 acres, PI 142.7, $23,000/acre) and Jacksonville Township (79.68 acres, PI 141.5, $23,000/acre) confirm that Morgan County's premium ground consistently attracts $20,000+/acre bids.

Outlook

Morgan County's 2025 data suggests a strong recovery from the 2024 dip, with prices returning to and exceeding 2023 levels for quality ground. The county's high PI, proximity to Jacksonville's agricultural infrastructure, and demonstrated buyer demand for premium parcels create a durable value foundation. Buyers should expect intense competition for any parcel with PI above 130 in Alexander and Jacksonville townships, and should budget well above the county average for prime ground.

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