Henry County sees modest growth in value of farmland

MT. PLEASANT - Farmland values in Iowa grew modestly over the last year, according to the 2025 Iowa State University Farmland Value Survey.

Between Nov. 7, 2024 and Nov. 7, 2025, the price per acre rose by $83, to $11,549, a state-average increase of 0.7%. This comes after a slight downturn in 2024, after the value-per-acre peaked at $11,835 in 2023.

In Henry County, the average value of farmland increased 1.3%, to $10,204 per acre. Six of the nine districts saw an increase in farmland prices, and the southeast district (which includes Henry County) saw the second-smallest increase in price, at 0.5%. While Henry County’s growth is middling compared to that of neighboring Louisa and Washington Counties (2.8% and 3%, respectively), it is the same percentage as neighboring Jefferson and Des Moines Counties. It is also better than Lee and Van Buren Counties, which both saw decreases of 0.4% and 0.5% in the value per acre of their farmland. In terms of the monetary value of this farmland, Henry County is ranked No. 5 out of 7 neighboring southeastern counties.

According to the 2025 ISU survey, the southeast region, which includes the counties of Henry, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Des Moines, Lee, Van Buren, Jefferson, Davis and Wapello, saw the third-largest increase in the value of what ranks as “low-quality” farmland, at 3.3%. Henry County possesses 11% more low-quality farmland than the state average. Like the majority of the state, Medium and High-quality land also saw gains; nothing remarkable, but better than several districts, which reported decreases of up to 5.1% in Medium-quality, and 3.1% in High-quality land respectively.

According to a report released by Farmers’ National Company, the demand for farmland nationwide “...now varies widely by location. Areas with high crop yields, diversified farms, and dependable groundwater continue to attract buyers and maintain steady values. Regions facing commodity price pressure, lower yields, or limited alternative income sources are seeing lower demand.”

Thomas Schutter of the Farmers’ National Company also reported a volatile market in Iowa and Minnesota during the latter-half of 2025.

“A strong early crop was followed by a record-wet July and heavy disease pressure, leaving corn yields disappointing, while soybeans finished above average in many areas,” Schutter said in the report. “Despite crop challenges, low supply heading into harvest supported an optimistic short-term outlook and kept prices stable to higher pre-harvest levels. As fall progressed, increased market supply and shifting sentiment exerted downward pressure on prices.”

The biggest shift occurred in November as the market adjusted quickly. Buyers and sellers navigated the changing conditions, with each sale telling its own story—high-quality farms continued to attract strong interest and sold well, while lower-quality farms often failed to find buyers, Schutter noted.

Call Marilyn Higgins at 319-368-8895 or email her at marilyn.higgins@southeastiowaunion.com