Farmland and its buildings in Mellette County averaged $1,213 an acre in the 2022 Census of Agriculture: the 10th cheapest of the 66 counties in South Dakota, 53% below the South Dakota average in the same census ($2,592).
In the 2017 census it was $965 an acre, so the average has risen 26% in five years.
| Farmland and buildings, an acre, 2022 | $1,213 |
|---|---|
| The same, 2017 | $965 +26% |
| Farms counted, 2022 | 230 (219 in 2017) |
| Average farm | 3,519 acres |
| Share of the county that is farmland | 96.7% |
| Median value of an owner-occupied home | $84,100 ± $31,800 |
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. The home value comes from a survey that reaches few homes here, so its margin of error is wide.
Source: USDA, 2022 Census of Agriculture, South Dakota county data, Table 8; Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024, table B25077
Next door
The counties that share a border with Mellette County, cheapest farmland first.
| county | Farmland an acre | Median home |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | $1,148 | $117,300 |
| Todd County | $1,168 | $53,900 |
| Bennett County | $1,347 | $156,400 |
| Jones County | $1,596 | $139,600 |
| Lyman County | $1,967 | $165,800 |
| Tripp County | $2,124 | $132,900 |
Buying land here: the South Dakota rules
Counties keep their own tax certificates, and since 2024 must auction tax-deed land within a year.
Each links to the South Dakota guide, where every fact cites the statute or agency page it came from.