
Buyer's guide · Last updated June 2026
The short answer
As of 2026, land in Mississippi lists for a median of about $5,400 an acre (Land.com), but what you actually pay turns on land type and tract size. Timberland starts near $1,800 an acre and pasture around $2,500–$4,000; hunting and recreational tracts average roughly $3,800–$4,700; productive cropland runs $4,000–$7,000; and small homesites near towns can top $10,000+. The smaller the parcel, the more you pay per acre. Statewide, Mississippi land sits about 18% below the U.S. average — one of the cheaper places in the country to buy.
The floor, the ceiling, and the middle of Mississippi's land market — drawn from current listing data and the USDA's 2025 land-value survey.
An acre of planted pine and an acre of irrigated Delta cropland are not the same purchase — and they don't cost the same. Tap a land type to see its going per-acre range, what it's best for, and what moves the number.
↓ Tap a land type
Mississippi's most valuable working land, because it earns the day you buy it. Reported sales averaged about $5,754/acre for irrigated and $4,628 for non-irrigated cropland in 2023–25 (MSU Extension); the USDA pegs statewide cropland value near $3,960.
Best for row-crop income, leasing, long-hold investment · Earns ~$141/acre cash rent ($178 irrigated) · Moves on soil, water rights, commodity prices
Planted loblolly and mixed pine-hardwood — the most affordable way into Mississippi acreage. Price splits into the bare land plus the standing timber, so a freshly cut tract costs less than one with a mature, harvest-ready stand.
Best for patient investment, recreation, a future homesite · Earns timber harvests + $15–$20/acre hunting leases · Moves on stand age, mill distance, pine prices
Mississippi is a top-five hunting-land state, and recreation is a major driver of rural prices. Listings average roughly $4,700/acre (LandSearch) with a median near $3,800 (Land.com). Food plots, road systems, and a cabin push a tract toward the top of the range.
Best for deer & duck hunting, weekend retreats, recreation-plus-income · Earns $15–$20/acre leases, $50+ on prime Delta waterfowl · Moves on game quality, water, habitat, access
Open grass for cattle and hay, strongest through the Golden Triangle's Black Belt prairie. It sits below cropland because the income is thinner — pasture rents for only about $25/acre — but fencing, water, and a barn add real value.
Best for cattle, horses, hay, a rural homestead · Earns ~$25/acre grazing rent · Moves on fencing, water, soil, road frontage
A few build-ready acres near a town, with road frontage and utilities at the street, costs the most per acre of any category — because you're paying for location and access, not productive ground. The smaller the lot, the higher the per-acre number.
Best for building a home or cabin, a small acreage lifestyle · Adds value power, county water, a perc-tested septic site · Moves on town proximity, utilities, road access
River, lake, and reservoir frontage carries a premium, and Gulf Coast lots run highest of all. Budget for the flip side near the coast: hurricane, wind, and flood exposure — and confirm the flood zone and insurability before you buy.
Best for fishing, recreation, coastal living, retirement · Watch flood zone, insurance cost, drainage · Moves on frontage, water type, coastal proximity
Want the macro picture — whether prices are rising or falling and where the cheapest counties are? That's our companion read on Mississippi land market trends and prices by region.
The single biggest swing in per-acre price isn't the county — it's how many acres you buy. A one-acre lot near town and a 200-acre block can sit in the same county and trade at wildly different prices per acre. Typical Mississippi ranges:
Typical Mississippi land price per acre, by tract size
Small lots carry the cost of road access, utilities, and being build-ready spread over fewer acres, so the per-acre figure climbs. Buy in bulk and the price per acre drops — which is why the statewide listing median (about $5,400/acre, on an average tract of ~146 acres) sits well below what a single homesite acre costs.
Pick a land type and how many acres you're after for a rough purchase range. It's a starting point, not an appraisal — your real number depends on county, access, and the specific tract.
Estimated purchase price
Pick a land type to start
We'll show a typical low-to-high range for that land type in Mississippi.
Then budget another ~$800–$3,000 for survey, title, and closing on a typical cash purchase — Mississippi charges no state real-estate transfer tax, so closing here is light on fees. Financing or a new survey on a large tract can run more.
The per-acre price is the headline, but a few more line items decide your cash-to-close. The good news: buying raw land in Mississippi is cheaper to close than buying a house.
Mississippi has no state real-estate transfer tax. On a cash land deal you're mostly looking at a title/closing service (around $1200), recording fees (about $50), and an optional real estate attorney — far less than a financed home purchase.
If the boundaries aren't already established, plan for a new survey. Small lots run a few hundred dollars; larger rural tracts cost more. Worth it — you're confirming exactly what you're buying.
Many rural-land sellers, Debrosland included on select parcels, offer owner financing — a down payment plus monthly payments at a negotiated rate, no bank required. Down payment and interest are both negotiable.
Confirm legal road access (landlocked land sells for far less for a reason), the flood zone, easements, and — if you'll build — a perc test for septic. Land with access and power can run 30–50% more per acre than a tract with neither.
A direct buyer like Debrosland doesn't pay retail listing prices — we price off what land actually trades for in your area, and run every closing through a real estate attorney or title company. If you're weighing what to offer, our guide on the 5 ways to buy land in Mississippi walks through each path.
"Buyers fixate on the statewide average, but nobody buys the average. You buy one tract, in one county, of one type — and the price per acre on that piece is the only number that matters."
Mississippi land lists for a median of about $5,400 per acre in 2026 (Land.com), but what you pay depends on type and size. Timberland starts near $1,800 an acre and pasture around $2,500–$4,000; hunting and recreational tracts average roughly $3,800–$4,700; productive cropland runs $4,000–$7,000; and small homesites near towns can top $10,000. Statewide, Mississippi sits about 18% below the U.S. average.
Timberland is usually the cheapest way into Mississippi acreage — cutover and young planted pine starts around $1,800–$3,500 an acre, since the price splits between bare land and standing timber. Open pasture is the next most affordable at roughly $2,500–$4,000. The most expensive per acre are small rural homesites near towns and Gulf Coast waterfront lots.
Mississippi hunting and recreational land averages roughly $3,800–$4,700 an acre, with listings averaging about $4,747 (LandSearch) and a median near $3,800 (Land.com). Raw, reverted bottomland can be had for $1,500–$3,000, while turnkey tracts with food plots, road systems, and a cabin run higher. Prime Delta waterfowl ground commands the top of the market.
A small lot carries the cost of road access, utilities, and being build-ready spread across just a few acres, so the per-acre price climbs steeply — a homesite acre near town can run $10,000–$20,000+, while a 160-acre block in the same county might trade for $2,500–$4,000 an acre. Buying more acres almost always lowers your price per acre.
Less than you might think. Mississippi charges no state real-estate transfer tax, so on a cash land purchase you're mostly paying a title and closing service (around $1200), recording fees (about $50), and an optional real estate attorney. A new survey, if the boundaries aren't set, typically adds $500–$2,000. Financed purchases add lender fees. Always run the closing through a real estate attorney or title company.
Yes — owner financing is common on rural land, and Debrosland offers it on select parcels. Instead of a bank loan, you put down a portion of the price and make monthly payments to the seller at a negotiated interest rate over an agreed term. Both the down payment and the rate are negotiable, which makes it a flexible path for buyers who don't want to involve a lender.
It depends entirely on type. At $100,000, you might buy roughly 30–55 acres of timberland, 25–40 acres of pasture, 20–30 acres of hunting land, or 14–25 acres of cropland — but only 5–15 acres of build-ready homesite near a town. Larger tracts also bring the per-acre price down, so $100,000 stretches furthest on a single bigger block of recreational or timber land.
Mississippi land has risen for five straight years but the pace has cooled, and prices still sit about 18% below the national average — so the entry cost stays reasonable. Whether it's the right time depends on the tract, the type, and how long you'll hold. For the full market read, see our companion post on Mississippi land market trends. This isn't financial advice — talk to a qualified professional, and run any purchase through a real estate attorney or title company.
Now you know what an acre should cost — see what's actually for sale, then make a smart, informed offer.
Or grab the free Land Buying Checklist →More Mississippi guides: market trends & prices by region · what your land is worth · all Mississippi land
Sources & method · refreshed quarterly
USDA NASS, Land Values 2025 Summary (released August 2025) — Mississippi farm real estate ($3,580/acre) and cropland ($3,960/acre) values; U.S. average farm real estate ($4,350/acre).
Mississippi State University Extension, "Mississippi Land Values and Rental Rates," Publication 4117 (survey 2023–25) — reported cropland sale prices (irrigated avg $5,754/acre, non-irrigated $4,628) and cash-rental rates ($141/acre cropland, $25/acre pasture).
Land listing aggregators (Land.com, LandSearch, Land And Farm; accessed mid-2026) — statewide and by-type median/average asking prices per acre. Listing figures are asking prices, not closed sales, and skew toward smaller and improved tracts.
Buyer cost data — Mississippi closing-cost reporting (Houzeo, Clever; 2026), AgSouth Farm Credit (land-loan costs), and Landmodo (2026) on access/utility premiums.
Figures are statewide guides, not appraisals. Per-acre price varies widely by parcel, type, soil, access, and tract size.
Debrosland is a land company — not a law firm, tax advisor, or financial advisor. Everything on our blog is general information to help you get your bearings, not legal, tax, or financial advice for your situation. For that, talk to a qualified professional — and run any closing through a real estate attorney or title company.
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