Silke Jasso
With home prices reaching record highs, many people believe the real estate market is at its peak. According to the Fiscal Times, it’s a seller’s market and most buyers want turnkey properties with homes already built. Despite this trend, for the adventurous few looking to buy land and build their dream homes or country ranch residences, affordable options still exist.
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Buying undeveloped land comes with many advantages. Empty land usually does not cost as much as an improved lot. Additionally, it provides maximum creative flexibility — stay within your jurisdiction’s zoning codes, and you can build whatever you want. Perhaps most importantly, though, is the fact that vacant lots can often be better long-term investments.
The experts at FindTheHome used county public records to look at the sales of vacant lots since the beginning of 2014. Using this data, they averaged the lot size, sale price, and price per square foot of every vacant lot transaction in each county and found the counties with the cheapest land in each state.
Note: Nebraska and Vermont were not included in this list due to insufficient data.
Alabama: Limestone County
Average price per square foot: 38¢
Average lot size: 79,120 square feet
Average sale amount: $20,499
Alaska: Kenai Peninsula Borough
Average price per square foot: $5.55
Average lot size: 86,336 square feet
Average sale amount: $148,216
Arizona: Santa Cruz County
Average price per square foot: $1.77
Average lot size: 91,088 square feet
Average sale amount: $45,420
Arkansas: Clay County
Average price per square foot: 7¢
Average lot size: 830,617 square feet
Average sale amount: $43,083
California: Trinity County
Average price per square foot: $1.49
Average lot size: 530,863 square feet
Average sale amount: $2,342,287
Colorado: Costilla County
Average price per square foot: 18¢
Average lot size: 295,633 square feet
Average sale amount: $33,613
Connecticut: Windham County
Average price per square foot: $3.76
Average lot size: 228,264 square feet
Average sale amount: $186,069
Delaware: Kent County
Average price per square foot: $23.45
Average lot size: 19,768 square feet
Average sale amount: $196,164
Florida: Washington County
Average price per square foot: 16¢
Average lot size: 189,791 square feet
Average sale amount: $16,825
Georgia: Elbert County
Average price per square foot: 6¢
Average lot size: 10,134,234 square feet
Average sale amount: $295,325
Hawaii: Hawaii County
Average price per square foot: $15.01
Average lot size: 84,165 square feet
Average sale amount: $454,231
Idaho: Bonner County
Average price per square foot: $12.10
Average lot size: 191,169 square feet
Average sale amount: $160,203
Illinois: Ogle County
Average price per square foot: 43¢
Average lot size: 2,413,805 square feet
Average sale amount: $564,480
Indiana: Daviess County
Average price per square foot: $1
Average lot size: 1,056,959 square feet
Average sale amount: $383,336
Iowa: Hancock County
Average price per square foot: 31¢
Average lot size: 1,718,355 square feet
Average sale amount: $528,357
Kansas: Crawford County
Average price per square foot: 38¢
Average lot size: 66,846 square feet
Average sale amount: $18,750
Kentucky: Henderson County
Average price per square foot: $5.32
Average lot size: 14,743 square feet
Average sale amount: $37,333
Louisiana: Washington Parish
Average price per square foot: 21¢
Average lot size: 567,701 square feet
Average sale amount: $52,675
Maine: Kennebec County
Average price per square foot: $3.94
Average lot size: 308,961 square feet
Average sale amount: $87,193
Maryland: Somerset County
Average price per square foot: $2.33
Average lot size: 166,771 square feet
Average sale amount: $45,059
Massachusetts: Franklin County
Average price per square foot: $1.52
Average lot size: 174,228 square feet
Average sale amount: $76,488
Michigan: Newaygo County
Average price per square foot: 12¢
Average lot size: 520,610 square feet
Average sale amount: $28,628
Minnesota: Beltrami County
Average price per square foot: 4.9¢
Average lot size: 2,130,919 square feet
Average sale amount: $78,452
Mississippi: Lincoln County
Average price per square foot: 9¢
Average lot size: 1,470,498 square feet
Average sale amount: $112,613
Missouri: Lincoln County
Average price per square foot: 12¢
Average lot size: 1,537,912 square feet
Average sale amount: $117,846
Montana: Jefferson County
Average price per square foot: $1.57
Average lot size: 210,947 square feet
Average sale amount: $185,947
Nevada: Lincoln County
Average price per square foot: 25¢
Average lot size: 168,638 square feet
Average sale amount: $51,703
New Hampshire: Carroll County
Average price per square foot: $3.05
Average lot size: 205,952 square feet
Average sale amount: $83,710
New Jersey: Cumberland County
Average price per square foot: $3.12
Average lot size: 50,906 square feet
Average sale amount: $64,397
New Mexico: Quay County
Average price per square foot: $1.96
Average lot size: 84,134 square feet
Average sale amount: $55,918
New York: Yates County
Average price per square foot: 19¢
Average lot size: 974,605 square feet
Average sale amount: $45,554
North Carolina: Anson County
Average price per square foot: 15¢
Average lot size: 4,341,851 square feet
Average sale amount: $240,045
North Dakota: Cass County
Average price per square foot: $21.54
Average lot size: 107,030 square feet
Average sale amount: $354,061
Ohio: Fulton County
Average price per square foot: 47¢
Average lot size: 1,449,144 square feet
Average sale amount: $252,455
Oklahoma: Muskogee County
Average price per square foot: $4.13
Average lot size: 186,277 square feet
Average sale amount: $66,014
Oregon: Crook County
Average price per square foot: $2.69
Average lot size: 377,430 square feet
Average sale amount: $206,837
Pennsylvania: Mifflin County
Average price per square foot: 59¢
Average lot size: 544,064 square feet
Average sale amount: $53,690
Rhode Island: Washington County
Average price per square foot: $10.20
Average lot size: 68,026 square feet
Average sale amount: $224,043
South Carolina: Union County
Average price per square foot: 4.8¢
Average lot size: 2,153,109 square feet
Average sale amount: $105,586
South Dakota: Yankton County
Average price per square foot: $9.95
Average lot size: 706,751 square feet
Average sale amount: $118,555
Tennessee: Unicoi County
Average price per square foot: 37¢
Average lot size: 251,911 square feet
Average sale amount: $59,408
Texas: Wilbarger County
Average price per square foot: 4.4¢
Average lot size: 9,268,435 square feet
Average sale amount: $345,105
Utah: Sevier County
Average price per square foot: $7.12
Average lot size: 13,192 square feet
Average sale amount: $37,483
Virginia: Hanover County
Average price per square foot: 18¢
Average lot size: 2,353,580 square feet
Average sale amount: $340,034
Washington: Ferry County
Average price per square foot: 14¢
Average lot size: 705,734 square feet
Average sale amount: $52,322
West Virginia: Morgan County
Average price per square foot: 44¢
Average lot size: 277,623 square feet
Average sale amount: $29,450
Wisconsin: Douglas County
Average price per square foot: 13¢
Average lot size: 1,535,179 square feet
Average sale amount: $222,871
Wyoming: Lincoln County
Average price per square foot: $7.40
Average lot size: 104,979
Average sale amount: $358,193
