By Scout Nelson
North Dakota cropland values are showing slower growth after several years of strong increases across the state. New survey data shows statewide cropland prices increased only slightly from 2025 to 2026, while some regions reported gains and others experienced declines.
North Dakota State University Extension reports that statewide cropland values increased by 0.88% during the past year based on annual land survey data from the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands. Agricultural finance specialist Bryon Parman reviewed the data using NDSU Extension regions to help explain land value trends across the state.
Several regions continued to show increases in cropland values. The North Central region recorded the largest gain at more than 8%, followed by the Northwest with nearly 6% growth. The South-Central region increased by almost 5%, while East Central rose by around 2%.
Other areas experienced declining land values during the same period. The Southeast showed the largest drop at nearly 7.5%, while the Southwest declined by just over 3%. The Northeast also reported a small decrease of nearly 1%. Land prices in the North and South Red River Valley regions remained mostly unchanged from the previous year.
Farmland rental rates increased more than cropland values for the first time in several years. Statewide rents rose by about 2%, although regional changes remained smaller than the swings seen in land prices. The North Central region reported the largest rent increase at 8.2%, followed by East Central at 6.5%.
“While it was widely expected that there would be a slowdown in cropland price growth across the state, which the state average supports, it is a bit surprising to see the wider regional swings,” says Parman.
Parman explained that lower farm profits may slow the number of land sales, causing individual transactions to have a larger impact on regional averages. He also noted that rental rates usually adjust more slowly because many rental agreements cover multiple years.
For more information, contact Parman at bryon.parman@ndsu.edu.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sizsus
Categories: North Dakota, Business, General