Calculate cost per acre from land cost and area, compare two listings, or find missing cost, area, or $/acre for land purchases.
Related Calculators
Cost Per Acre Formula
The calculator uses one core formula and rearranges it for the other modes.
- Total land cost: the listing or purchase price in dollars.
- Acres: the land area converted to acres.
- Cost per acre: the unit price in dollars per acre.
Choose Cost per acre, Total land cost, Land area, or Compare two properties. Enter the two named inputs for a calculation, or both costs and areas for comparison. Land-area solving requires a positive unit price. Amounts are in USD.
Area unit conversions used by the calculator:
- 1 hectare = 2.4710538 acres
- 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft
- 1 acre = 4,046.8564 sq m
- 1 sq mi = 640 acres
Reference Tables
The first table contains illustrative price assumptions for arithmetic comparisons, not observed or current market prices. Actual prices require local evidence and depend on access, water rights, soil, zoning, and improvements.
| Land type | Illustrative assumption (USD/acre) |
|---|---|
| Cropland | $3,500 – $8,000 |
| Pasture | $1,800 – $4,500 |
| Timberland | $1,500 – $3,500 |
| Rural recreational | $2,500 – $7,000 |
| Rural residential lot | $8,000 – $30,000 |
| Suburban buildable lot | $50,000 – $250,000 |
| Urban infill | $500,000+ |
| Area | In acres |
|---|---|
| 10,000 sq ft | 0.2296 |
| 1 hectare | 2.4711 |
| 1 sq km (100 ha) | 247.11 |
| 1 sq mile | 640 |
| 1 section | 640 |
| 1 quarter section | 160 |
Examples and FAQ
Example 1. A 25-acre parcel is listed for $309,900. Cost per acre = 309,900 / 25 = $12,396 per acre.
Example 2. Listing A is 25 acres at $309,900 ($12,396/acre). Listing B is 18 acres at $247,500 ($13,750/acre). Listing A is cheaper by $1,354 per acre, even though its total price is higher.
Should I include closing costs in the total? For a pure listing comparison, use the asking price. For a true all-in cost per acre, add closing costs, surveys, title fees, and any required improvements before dividing.
How do I handle unusable land? Subtract the unusable acres (wetlands, easements, road right-of-way) from the area to get a cost per usable acre. Run that number alongside the gross figure.
Why does the per-acre price drop on bigger parcels? Parcel size alone does not determine unit price. Location, permitted use, infrastructure, land quality and the usable share can outweigh size; compare local properties with similar characteristics.
What if my listing is priced per hectare or per square meter? Enter the area in its native unit. The calculator converts to acres before dividing, so the result is always in dollars per acre.
