Farmland and its buildings in Nelson County averaged $2,048 an acre in the 2022 Census of Agriculture: the 31st cheapest of the 53 counties in North Dakota, 4% below the North Dakota average in the same census ($2,139).
In the 2017 census it was $1,360 an acre, so the average has risen 51% in five years.
| Farmland and buildings, an acre, 2022 | $2,048 |
|---|---|
| The same, 2017 | $1,360 +51% |
| Farms counted, 2022 | 459 (489 in 2017) |
| Average farm | 1,215 acres |
| Share of the county that is farmland | 88.8% |
| Median value of an owner-occupied home | $139,700 ± $20,000 |
The farm figure is land and buildings together, averaged over every farm in the county, from the largest ranch to the smallest holding. It is for comparing one county with another, not a price for any parcel: a few acres with road frontage usually costs more an acre than the average, not less.
Source: USDA, 2022 Census of Agriculture, North Dakota county data, Table 8; Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25077
Next door
The counties that share a border with Nelson County, cheapest farmland first.
| county | Farmland an acre | Median home |
|---|---|---|
| Benson County | $1,514 | $90,000 |
| Ramsey County | $1,885 | $199,300 |
| Eddy County | $2,088 | $124,000 |
| Griggs County | $2,118 | $119,300 |
| Steele County | $2,962 | $130,700 |
| Walsh County | $3,221 | $132,700 |
| Grand Forks County | $3,568 | $252,700 |
Buying land here: the North Dakota rules
Counties sell forfeited land every November and will carry the buyer for ten years, and a farmer's house is not taxed at all.
Each links to the North Dakota guide, where every fact cites the statute or agency page it came from.