Farmland Values
R.W. Young and Associates, Inc. have closely monitored the cyclical trends for agricultural farmland. The following analysis and corresponding links document changes over time from the most general terms statewide to specific soil type productivity in the Western Illinois neighborhood.
The first analysis is an index system compiled by the University of Illinois from USDA sources including the Census of Agriculture. It provides the relationship in farmland values over time from 1912 to present date. It is updated annually with the index numbers representative of January 1st of each year. This is an excellent source for long-term trends within the state for the all-inclusive land use/productivity range of agricultural land. It should be cautioned that this analysis is general in nature and may not fully apply to a specific area, land use, or productivity level.
Index Numbers of Illinois Farmland Values
The second index system has been assimulated by R.W. Young and Associates, Inc. and is specific to Western Illinois. It provides a Class “A” prime farmland value with an April/November relationship from 1977 to present. This analysis is more neighborhood and soil type specific than the University of Illinois index. The accompanying graph visually depicts the index on the previous page.
Index Numbers for Western Illinois Prime Farmland Values
The last statistical analysis further isolates Western Illinois land values based upon soil productivity. Based upon Bulletin 811, the chart depicts valuation trends since 2001 categorized by weighted productivity index (WPI). The tabular form provides a number of comparative categories along with a percentage change analysis over approximately five-year intervals.
The accompanying graph represents the above-mentioned data. However, the data points are on an annual basis utilizing the same land classification categories. This data is in terms of sale price per weighted productivity index per tillable (SP/WPI/TILL). The final graph is a regression analysis for all "Class A" sales in our market area from 2001 to present. The trendlines identify the positive agricultural climate over the last decade.
Western Illinois Farmland Trends