Wisconsin Land Values by County: What Your Land Is Actually Worth

Wisconsin land is not a single market — it's six different markets stacked on top of each other, with values that range from under $500 per acre in the remote north woods to over $30,000 per acre in the Madison metro fringe. If you own Wisconsin land and you're trying to figure out what it's worth, the county — and the type of land — matters more than almost anything else.

This guide breaks down Wisconsin land values by county region, the key value drivers in each area, and what the math actually looks like in 2026. No fluff, just numbers and context.

How Wisconsin Land Values Are Set

Before we get to county-by-county numbers, let's establish the framework. Wisconsin land value is primarily driven by five factors:

1. Use category: Recreational (hunting/fishing/lakefront), agricultural (row crops or pasture), and development-ready land are three entirely different markets with different buyer pools and price ranges.
2. Water access: In Wisconsin, proximity to lakes — especially navigable lakes with public boat landings — adds enormous premiums. The difference between lakefront, lake-view, and no water access is often 5-10x on a per-acre basis.
3. Timber value: Merchantable timber — especially mature hardwood or softwood — can add meaningful value to northern parcels. A timber cruise by a licensed forester is essential before pricing or selling northern wooded land.
4. Access and infrastructure: Paved vs. town road vs. seasonal access vs. landlocked. Each step down in access quality reduces value significantly.
5. Proximity to demand centers: Distance from Madison, Milwaukee, the Fox Valley, or the Twin Cities metro (for northwest Wisconsin) drives how large the buyer pool is.

With that framework in mind, here's how the regions break down.

Northern Wisconsin: The Recreational Tier

Vilas County

Vilas County is Wisconsin's premier recreational land market. It has more lakes than any other county in the country — over 1,300 — and that density of water creates sustained demand from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Twin Cities buyers. Lakefront land in Vilas County typically runs $8,000-$25,000+ per acre, with premium lots on highly sought lakes (Trout Lake, Lac du Flambeau, Clear Lake) at the high end. Inland hunting land without water access is dramatically less: $1,500-$3,500 per acre for quality parcels.

Oneida County (Rhinelander Area)

Similar dynamic to Vilas but with a slightly thinner high-end buyer pool. Lakefront ranges from $6,000-$20,000 per acre. Inland wooded land runs $1,200-$3,000 per acre. The Rhinelander market is active but not as competitive as the Northwoods resort corridor.

Price County (Phillips Area)

Price County is one of Wisconsin's least-developed recreational counties — which is both its appeal and its price anchor. Hunters love it; lakefront buyers are rarer. Expect $800-$2,500 per acre for wooded hunting land. Lakefront parcels exist but the lake quality (and therefore premiums) are lower than Vilas or Oneida. Price County land is genuinely undervalued relative to its hunting quality, but buyer pools are thin.

Forest County (Crandon Area)

Thinly traded but consistent hunting land demand. Wooded parcels run $700-$2,000 per acre. Forest County is adjacent to the Nicolet National Forest, which creates buyer interest but also limits developable land options. The market moves slowly — days on market run long — but serious buyers exist.

Central Wisconsin: The Hunting and Recreation Mid-Market

Adams County

Adams County is Wisconsin's quintessential deer hunting county — high deer density, sandy soils, mixed hardwood and pine, and relatively affordable land. Values typically run $1,500-$4,000 per acre for quality hunting parcels. Agricultural land in Adams is marginal (sandy soils limit row crop production), so most parcels trade as recreational, not farm ground. Adams County is one of the most liquid recreational land markets in central Wisconsin.

Juneau County (Mauston Area)

Similar to Adams but slightly higher values due to better proximity to Madison (90 minutes vs. 2+ hours). Hunting and recreational parcels run $2,000-$5,000 per acre for quality wooded land. The Dells tourism corridor affects the southeast corner of the county, creating some development land premium near Wisconsin Dells.

Waushara County

Waushara sits between the recreational north and the agricultural south, and its land market reflects that mix. Good hunting land runs $2,000-$4,500 per acre. The county has some agricultural value as well, with better soils than Adams. Water access (Pine River, Crystal River area) adds premiums.

Western Wisconsin: The Driftless Region

The Driftless Area — the unglaciated region of western Wisconsin — has its own distinct market driven by scenic beauty, hunting, and a growing demand from buyers seeking "hobby farm" and rural lifestyle properties.

Crawford County (Prairie du Chien Area)

Crawford County is the heart of the Driftless and offers some of the best whitetail hunting in the Midwest. Turkey and deer hunters from Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota create consistent buyer demand. Values for quality timbered hunting parcels run $2,500-$5,500 per acre. Agricultural land (bottomland or ridgetop tillable) adds value — quality cropland can reach $4,000-$7,000 per acre.

Vernon County

Vernon County blends Driftless hunting appeal with proximity to La Crosse (30-60 minutes). That access to an urban center expands the buyer pool beyond pure sportsmen to include hobby farmers and rural lifestyle buyers. Expect $3,000-$6,500 per acre for quality parcels. The Organic Valley farming cooperative is headquartered in Vernon County, which has created sustained agricultural land demand from organic dairy farmers.

Richland County

Richland is one of the most undervalued Driftless counties in the state in 2026. Values run $2,000-$4,500 per acre for hunting land — meaningfully below Crawford and Vernon despite comparable hunting quality. The gap is primarily a buyer-pool issue: Richland doesn't benefit from Interstate highway access the way Crawford (US-18) and Vernon (I-90) do. For buyers willing to look, Richland represents relative value.

Southern Wisconsin: The Metro Fringe Markets

Dane County (Madison)

Dane County land is a development story more than a recreational story. Values near Madison run $15,000-$40,000+ per acre for development-positioned land. Agricultural land with strong soils runs $8,000-$15,000 per acre. Pure recreational land in Dane County is uncommon — most rural parcels have a development premium baked in. If you own land in Dane County, you're not selling recreational acres — you're selling future development potential.

Waukesha County (Milwaukee Suburb)

Similar premium market. Development-adjacent land runs $12,000-$35,000 per acre. Agricultural land with proximity to suburban growth is in the $7,000-$15,000 per acre range. Waukesha is one of Wisconsin's most expensive counties for land, and the buyer pool is dominated by developers and builders.

Walworth County (Lake Geneva Area)

Walworth County has the premier lakefront premium in southern Wisconsin — Geneva Lake, Delavan Lake, Whitewater Lake — drawing Chicago money. Lakefront land runs $20,000-$50,000+ per acre in prime locations. Inland agricultural land runs $8,000-$14,000 per acre. This is one of Wisconsin's highest-dollar land markets.

Eastern Wisconsin: The Agricultural Tier

Brown County (Green Bay Area)

Brown County's land market is split between suburban-adjacent development land and agricultural land. Development-positioned land near Green Bay runs $10,000-$25,000 per acre. Agricultural land with good soils (much of Brown County has strong loam soils) runs $5,000-$10,000 per acre. Strong dairy and cash crop farming demand underpins the agricultural market.

Manitowoc County

Manitowoc is primarily an agricultural land market. Quality cropland runs $5,500-$9,500 per acre in 2026. Lake Michigan shoreline land carries significant premiums — but the shoreline itself is largely developed or publicly owned. Inland rural parcels without agricultural productivity are a thin market in Manitowoc.

What This Means If You're Thinking About Selling

The math here is straightforward: the type of land you own and where it sits determines everything about your sale. Here's the decision framework:

• Northern Wisconsin lakefront? You're in the strongest seller's market in the state. Quality lakefront still commands premium prices and moves relatively quickly. If you've been waiting to sell, the window is still open — but it's not infinite.
• Central or western WI hunting land? Solid market with consistent buyer demand, but patience is required for retail sales. Cash buyers can close in 14-21 days without the 90-180 day wait for a retail buyer.
• Remote northern wooded land without water access? Thinnest market. Retail listings can sit for years. Cash buyers offer certainty and speed — the trade-off is on price.
• Southern WI or metro fringe? Development-adjacent land is the strongest market in the state. If you haven't had your land assessed for development potential, you may be underestimating its value significantly.
• Agricultural land? Steady market with farm buyer demand. Cash sales compete with financed agricultural buyers — know your floor before you evaluate any offer.

The most important step before any sale is knowing what tier your land falls into — and what comparable sales in your specific county actually look like.

Noble Land Co. buys Wisconsin land across all regions and all use types. See how we buy Wisconsin land and request a cash offer based on real county-level data — not a national formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find comparable sales for my Wisconsin parcel?

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue publishes transfer data, and your county register of deeds has deed records. LandWatch and Lands of America also show listed and recently sold prices. Your county's online GIS system often shows assessed values and can point you toward comparable parcels.

Does timber value affect what I should accept for northern Wisconsin land?

Yes, significantly. If your parcel has mature merchantable timber, a timber cruise ($200-$500 from a licensed Wisconsin forester) can establish standalone timber value that should be factored into any land price. Don't sell northern wooded land without knowing the timber component.

How much does water access affect value in northern Wisconsin?

Dramatically. The premium for direct lake access vs. no water access on otherwise comparable parcels in Vilas or Oneida County can be 5-10x on a per-acre basis. "Near a lake" is worth far less than "on a lake." Know exactly what your parcel's water access status is before evaluating any offer.

Is Wisconsin land appreciating in 2026?

Selectively. Lakefront (especially Vilas/Oneida), development-adjacent land in southern Wisconsin metros, and quality Driftless hunting parcels are all holding value well. Remote north woods without water access and marginal agricultural land in central Wisconsin are soft. The statewide story is a tale of diverging markets.