The Lone Star State has earned yet another superlative to add to its impressive list of achievements: Texas leads the nation in ranches for sale. Recent data from Realtor.com shows 7,411 Texas ranches were on the market as of early September, a figure that dwarfs other states and reflects the state’s unparalleled position in America’s agricultural and ranching landscape. This dominance stems from Texas’s unique combination of vast acreage, deep agricultural roots, and a thriving rural real estate market that continues to attract buyers from across the nation.
The Foundation of Texas Ranch Supremacy
Texas’s leadership in ranch sales is built upon a foundation of agricultural abundance that spans generations. Thanks to its deep agricultural roots, the Lone Star State boasts the most ranches and farms of any state in the U.S. — nearly 250,000, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. This massive inventory of agricultural properties creates an equally substantial pool of properties that regularly enter the market as ownership transitions, economic conditions change, and land use evolves.
The sheer scale of Texas’s agricultural sector provides context for understanding why so many ranches are available for sale. According to the USDA’s most recent Census of Agriculture, Texas has 230,662 farms with a market value of agricultural products sold totaling more than $32 billion. This enormous agricultural economy creates constant movement in land ownership as operations expand, consolidate, or change hands through generational transitions.
Texas’s geographic advantages cannot be understated in explaining this ranch market dominance. Of course, we’ve got a lot of wide open space for those ranches and farms, as Texas spans nearly 172 million acres, providing an almost limitless canvas for agricultural operations of every scale and type. This vast expanse includes diverse ecosystems from East Texas piney woods to West Texas desert, offering ranch properties suited to cattle operations, hunting preserves, recreational retreats, and agricultural ventures.
Market Dynamics and Property Values
The Texas ranch market reflects broader trends in rural real estate while maintaining its own unique characteristics. Median price in this Region rose to a new high for the second consecutive quarter, coming in at $2,662 per acre, up 12.89 percent YoY. This was the largest percentage increase among the seven Regions. These price movements demonstrate the continued strength and demand in the Texas rural land market, even as inventory remains robust.
Land values vary significantly across Texas’s diverse regions, creating opportunities for buyers with different budgets and objectives. According to the USDA, the average value of Texas cropland in 2024 was higher than the average value of Texas pastureland (by about $400/acre). You’re likely to find some of the cheapest Texas acres in the Panhandle and South Plains region, or in Far West Texas. This geographic price variation means that Texas offers ranch properties across a broad spectrum of price points, from affordable grassland operations to premium Hill Country retreats.
The appreciation trends in Texas land values reflect broader economic forces affecting rural real estate nationwide. Statewide, the average appraised market value rose 55% since 2017, from $1,951/acre to $3,021/acre, and 505% from $499/acre in 1997. These dramatic increases over recent decades demonstrate how Texas ranch land has become not just an agricultural asset but also a significant investment vehicle for building wealth.
Diversity of Ranch Properties Available
The Texas ranch market’s depth and variety reflect the state’s agricultural diversity and economic complexity. Properties range from working cattle operations spanning hundreds of thousands of acres to smaller recreational ranches designed for weekend retreats. At more than 32,000 acres, the Wylie Mountains Ranch in Van Horne is among the largest on the market, and it also includes basically the entire Wylie Mountain Range, named for one of the state’s earliest ranchers. Such massive properties represent the upper tier of the Texas ranch market, offering buyers the opportunity to own substantial portions of the state’s landscape.
The variety extends beyond size to encompass different ranch types and uses. Texas ranches for sale include cattle operations, horse ranches, hunting preserves, recreational properties, and mixed-use agricultural ventures. Some properties focus on livestock production, while others emphasize wildlife management, timber operations, or agritourism opportunities. This diversity ensures that buyers with different objectives and budgets can find suitable properties within the Texas market.
Historic ranches with significant cultural and architectural heritage form another important segment of the Texas ranch market. These 9 historic Texas ranches hit the market in 2024 and are still for sale, indicating that buyers can often acquire properties with rich histories and established reputations. These historic properties often command premium prices due to their cultural significance and established operational infrastructure.
Market Trends and Future Outlook
Current market conditions suggest continued strength in Texas ranch sales despite some broader economic uncertainties. The Texas Real Estate Research Center’s 2025 forecast still expects small declines in statewide prices and a slight increase in the volume of acres sold this year. Anecdotal evidence suggests this reflects reality in the field, as listings and showings are reportedly on the rise. This prediction of increased sales volume indicates that the robust inventory of Texas ranches will continue to generate significant market activity.
The ranch market operates somewhat independently from broader real estate trends, though it’s influenced by many of the same economic factors. Interest rates, commodity prices, tax policies, and demographic changes all affect ranch values and sales activity. However, the unique characteristics of ranch properties—including their use as both business assets and lifestyle investments—create market dynamics that don’t always mirror residential or commercial real estate patterns.
Buyer demographics in the Texas ranch market include local agricultural producers, out-of-state investors, recreational buyers seeking lifestyle properties, and institutional investors building agricultural portfolios. This diverse buyer base helps maintain market liquidity and supports the large inventory of available properties.
Economic Impact and Broader Significance
The volume of ranch sales in Texas generates significant economic activity that extends far beyond the immediate transactions. Real estate commissions, legal fees, surveying costs, title insurance, and related services create substantial business for professional service providers. Additionally, new ranch ownership often triggers investment in infrastructure improvements, equipment purchases, and operational changes that benefit local economies.
Ranch sales also facilitate important land use transitions and agricultural modernization. As properties change hands, new owners often bring fresh capital, updated management practices, and innovative approaches to land use. This ownership turnover helps maintain the vitality and productivity of Texas’s agricultural sector while adapting to changing market conditions and consumer preferences.
The concentration of ranch sales in Texas reflects the state’s continued importance in American agriculture and food production. Privately owned range and pasture lands makes up over 27% (528 million acres) of the total acreage of the contiguous 48 states, and these lands constitute the largest private lands use category, exceeding both forest land (21%) and crop land (18%). Texas’s significant contribution to this national agricultural land base underscores the importance of maintaining active and liquid ranch real estate markets.
Investment and Ownership Trends
Texas ranch properties attract investment for various reasons beyond agricultural production. Many buyers view ranch ownership as a hedge against inflation, a diversification strategy for investment portfolios, and a way to participate in the growing demand for recreational and lifestyle properties. The combination of potential agricultural income, recreational opportunities, and land appreciation makes ranch ownership attractive to diverse investor types.
Some of the state’s largest landowners represent the upper end of this investment trend. Much of Kelley’s portfolio is listed for sale with King Land & Water in Fort Davis. The largest single holding, Brewster Ranch, totals 353,494 acres. At $245 million, it’s the most expensive listing in America. These massive properties demonstrate the scale and value of premium Texas ranch real estate while highlighting the market’s ability to accommodate transactions of virtually any size.
The presence of such high-value properties in the market reflects Texas’s appeal to ultra-high-net-worth individuals seeking significant land holdings. These buyers often have multiple motivations including agricultural investment, recreational use, conservation goals, and portfolio diversification strategies.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite its market leadership, the Texas ranch market faces several challenges that affect both sellers and buyers. At the end of 2022, the number fell below 300. In early January 2024, it was 330. A smaller inventory translates into fewer transactions. According to Rahn, before 2020, the average number of transactions involving 200-plus acre properties averaged about 200 per year. This data suggests that while Texas maintains the largest inventory of ranches for sale, transaction volumes for larger properties have declined from pre-pandemic levels.
Market challenges include rising land values that may price out some traditional agricultural buyers, increasing property taxes in rapidly developing areas, and regulatory changes affecting land use and water rights. Additionally, generational transitions in family ranch ownership create both opportunities and complications as properties pass from longtime owners to new generations or outside buyers.
However, these challenges also create opportunities for innovative buyers and sellers. Creative financing arrangements, partnership structures, and alternative ownership models help address affordability concerns while preserving ranch operations and rural lifestyles.
The Future of Texas Ranch Markets
The continued dominance of Texas in ranch sales reflects enduring advantages that are likely to persist. The state’s favorable business climate, diverse agricultural opportunities, recreational attractions, and cultural appeal to ranch lifestyle enthusiasts support sustained demand for ranch properties. Additionally, population growth in Texas creates ongoing pressure for land development that can make ranch ownership financially attractive even for non-agricultural purposes.
Climate considerations, water resources, and environmental regulations will increasingly influence ranch values and marketability. Properties with sustainable water sources, diverse ecosystems, and climate resilience may command premium prices as buyers become more sophisticated about long-term environmental risks and opportunities.
Texas’s position as the leading state for ranch sales reflects a unique combination of historical, geographic, economic, and cultural factors that continue to drive robust market activity. With 7,411 ranches currently on the market, Texas offers unparalleled opportunities for buyers seeking everything from working cattle operations to recreational retreats to investment properties.
The state’s nearly 250,000 farms and ranches, spanning 172 million acres of diverse landscapes, create a constantly renewing inventory of properties that attract buyers from across the nation and around the world. While market conditions evolve and face various challenges, the fundamental appeal of Texas ranch ownership—combining agricultural productivity, lifestyle opportunities, investment potential, and cultural significance—ensures that the Lone Star State will likely maintain its leadership in ranch sales for the foreseeable future.
For buyers, this market depth provides exceptional choice and opportunity. For sellers, it represents access to a broad and diverse buyer base. Together, these factors sustain Texas’s position as America’s premier ranch real estate market, where the legacy of the American West continues to attract new generations of ranch owners and agricultural entrepreneurs.
