Have you ever asked yourself or other people questions about land for sale, such as: What’s the best way to buy land? Where can I find affordable off-grid acreage for sale? Or what are the benefits of buying rural land? Read on for the answers to these questions and more, plus how to buy land in Illinois for the cheapest possible prices.
What’s the Cheapest Land Type?
After talking to nearly a dozen Whitetail Properties Land Specialists in Illinois, one thing became universally clear — recreational (hunting) land is the most affordable land type in the state. For hunters, that’s music to their ears. Read on for the most affordable counties in each region in the Land of Lincoln.
Most Affordable Land in Northwestern Illinois
Northwestern Illinois is characterized by great agricultural ground, hunting lands, and more. It even offers scenic landscapes, residential acreage, and other land types. That said, according to Whitetail Properties Land Specialist Brent Reneau, it offers excellent recreational opportunities.
Recreational Ground in Northwestern Illinois
“I would say, the recreational market in my area, varies from two big river systems with the Mississippi River, Illinois River, and everything in-between,” Reneau said. “So, there's a lot of lowland marshy stuff for waterfowl. Obviously, in the river bottoms and river valleys, the stuff in the middle has a lot of good farmland and highly desirable soil types. Furthermore, there are highly desirable, highly sought-after recreational areas. Usually, it’s a combination with a small amount of tillable and a larger amount of recreational or timbered property.”
Low-Cost Counties in Northwestern Illinois
“For the recreational market, the closer you get to Western Illinois, some of those values do start to soften up,” Reneau said. “For my area, that would probably be Henderson and Mercer counties.”
Most Affordable Land in Northeast Illinois
Northeastern Illinois has a reputation for great croplands and big buck production. It’s an excellent destination to call home, or even to have a distant hunting property. It even offers some deals on recreational lands. Whitetail Properties Land Specialist Mark Leonard is in northeastern Illinois, and he knows all about that.
Recreational Ground in Northeastern Illinois
“Recreational ground is definitely the most affordable,” Leonard said. “In my territory, our rec ground is generally a partial flood plain. It's going to be some pasture, scrub brush, but not necessarily hardwoods.”
Low-Cost Counties in Northeastern Illinois
“There are a lot of different characteristics that go into value per acre, depending on where we're at,” Leonard said. “But if I had to pick one county, I would say Kankakee County, and that's based upon its distance and proximity to larger cities, such as Chicago, Juliet, Aurora, and Elgin.”
Most Affordable Land in Western Illinois
Western Illinois is famous for exceptional hunting land. It also offers awesome recreational opportunities for those who hike, trail ride, and enjoy other outdoor activities. That’s why Whitetail Properties Land Specialist Clark Cummings can help you find that perfect property.
Recreational Ground in Western Illinois
“The most affordable type of land, and probably the best bargain from a hunting perspective, would be CREP land,” Cummings said. “Basically, it’s the stuff that's expired CREP. A lot of times, that also comes with a tax break. From a straight affordability aspect, those pieces are really tough to beat for somebody just coming into the market.”
Low-Cost Counties in Western Illinois
“The further away from the bigger populations you can get, the better chances of finding a better deal,” Cummings said. “If you get into some of these overlooked counties, like Warren County or Mercer County, there are some counties that are overlooked that do have a higher percentage of tillable land, but also quite a bit of recreational land that's good. There's not as much of it, so it doesn't carry that same reputation as The Golden Triangle, but they actually offer better opportunities because of that.”
Most Affordable Land in West-Central Illinois
Those looking for cheaper land in west-central Illinois should look to certain counties and land types. Here, the area is known for big whitetails and exceptional rec ground. Whitetail Properties Land Specialist Austin Ator can assist with your land buying needs.
Recreational Ground in West-Central Illinois
“Rec ground would be the most affordable around here, especially compared to tillable,” Ator said. “There's a really wide range of prices. Of course, rec ground can still be pretty expensive. But in terms of rec ground here, it consists of timber ground and what we’d call open areas, grasslands, or pasture. Still, in my opinion, it’s a really good investment. It just keeps seeming to go up.”
Low-Cost Counties in West-Central Illinois
“We cover from Calhoun up to Hancock over to the Illinois river there in McDonough, Brown, and Skyler Counties,” Ator said. “I would say, the most affordable land that you're going to find in our territory is down in the southern part of Calhoun. You get into some pretty good topography down there. There are some steep cliffs and big timber. Typically, that ground is the most affordable.”
Most Affordable Land in Central Illinois
Central Illinois is a highly sought-after part of the state. Even so, you can find some good deals on recreational lands. Contact Whitetail Properties Land Specialists Joe Cebuhar or Jason Endres for assistance.
Recreational Ground in Central Illinois
“In my territory, if you're looking for the most affordable land, you're going to have to find something that has what most people see as challenges, such as extremely steep terrain, land that needs projects done, or land that's been unmanaged for years,” Cebuhar said. “There are benefits to all these types of properties, and they might be great to hunt, but they're just harder for most people to see when they view them. So, if you can be that type of buyer who’s looking for the challenging property, and willing to take on a project, you can buy some properties cheaper than others. Do those projects, and in the end, end up with just as valuable of a property as it would be going upfront and spending that big dollar amount.”
“There are a lot of trusts selling out right now. In my area, it’s primarily generational farms — four or five generations deep,” Endres said. “Guys aren’t passing up opportunities to buy, no matter what the price is for those that come up for sale. As such, rec ground has certainly increased in value over the years, but it's moderated somewhat, especially as this market makes a shift.”
Low-Cost Counties in Central Illinois
“Calhoun County has some really great affordable land,” Cebuhar said. “That’s due to some of the topography in that county. Many of those hills and valleys can change 120 to 160 feet from top to bottom, especially on those cliffs along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. But it doesn't mean it's not great hunting. It just has to be managed and hunted differently. But if you're looking for affordable land, Calhoun county is the place to go right now.”
“I was born and raised in Fulton County, which is the northern end of the Golden Triangle and Whitetail Properties’ flagship territory,” Endres said. “Then, I get over to McLean, Woodford, Taswell, Livingston, etc. In my territory, Fulton county is probably the most affordable.”
Most Affordable Land in Southwest Illinois
Southwestern Illinois is another great region to purchase recreational lands. Whitetail Properties Land Specialist Cody Crum agrees, and he can answer questions, as well as assist with land buying, throughout this part of the state.
Recreational Ground in Southwest Illinois
“The most affordable land type in Southwest Illinois continues to be recreational ground,” Crum said. “While there are still many hunters and outdoor enthusiasts searching for this type, the value can vary depending on how well the ground has been cared for. There can be a great opportunity for someone to buy a farm that has been ignored for years — at a lower price point. With some time and hard work, they can transform it into a much more usable and desirable property.”
Low-Cost Counties in Southwest Illinois
“In our area of Southwest Illinois, we tend to see the more affordable ground to the east, further away from the St Louis metro area,” Crum said. “The higher-populated counties typically increase the value of recreational ground.”
Most Affordable Land in South-Central Illinois
South-central Illinois offers a unique opportunity to hunt incredible recreational ground that offers chances at big whitetails. Whitetail Properties Land Specialists Kyle Malone and Josh Malone can assist with your land buying needs.
Recreational Ground in South-Central Illinois
“Typically, recreational ground that I see is mostly rolling hills, or maybe a mix of timber and tillable,” Kyle said. “There’s rolling elevation, but not much change.”
“In my territory, the most affordable land is recreational land,” Josh said. “Typically, it’s an all-wooded tract that might have some flood ground to it. Plus, my average tract size is a little lower than some other territories. My average tract size is running around 40 acres. We do a lot of 20-acre and 30-acre pieces.”
Low-Cost Counties in South-Central Illinois
“Whenever looking for cheaper ground, I’d definitely say Wayne County,” Kyle said. “It's hard to find something in Wayne County that's not in a wetland, or at least in a flood plain. So, a lot of that rec ground is a lot cheaper. That also holds true with part of Clay and Wabash Counties. For a lot of that flood plain ground, you can't really do much on it. So, it typically falls a bit lower on the price spectrum.”
“The most affordable counties in my territory would be Wayne, White, and Wabash,” Josh said.
Most Affordable Land in Southeast Illinois
Southeastern Illinois is a diverse region with a significant mix of land types. Of course, it’s well known for great hunting, as well as other recreationally minded activities. Contact Whitetail Properties Land Specialists Chad Wilkinson or Justin Mason with questions or buying interests for this region.
Recreational Ground in Southeast Illinois
“In our territory, as far as the lower 10 counties that I cover, our most affordable ground is in the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP),” Wilkinson said. “Aside from that, if a person doesn't want something with an easement on it, our next most affordable is probably an all-timber property. Not the type that's full of white oak and marketable timber, but something that doesn't have that marketable timber on it.”
“In our area, some of the most affordable land is straight recreational,” Mason said. “Its composition is primarily timber. We see some small open fields of either CRP or follow fields. Also, we see some good affordability with all-timber tracks. We're in an area of the Midwest where we can grow pretty good timber, so that stuff will hold its value over time. But compared to some of the tillable in our area, it might be sold at 2/3 of the value. Also, we have sections in southern Illinois that were old coal mine property. They were stripped back in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. These were kind of repurposed and offer a little bit different habitat type. They're not prime farmland, but you can get food plots in them.”
Low-Cost Counties in Southeast Illinois
“The most affordable county we have, as far as a price point, is probably Alexander County,” Wilkinson said.
“Pope County, Johnson County, and Hardin County are probably the three in our area that offer some of the most affordable ground with the best deer potential,” Mason said. “Some of these also provide access to some good public hunting land. A guy can buy a 50-acre hunting tract in one of those three counties and have quite a bit of public land within a 10- or 15-minute drive. Bring a buddy up with you or go explore. If you don't have anything on camera at the moment on your farm, you can drive a few miles and hunt some public.”
Find Your Dream Hunting or Recreational Property
No matter what part of the state you’re interested in, work with a Whitetail Properties Land Specialist in Illinois to find and secure your dream hunting land. It’s possible to find the most affordable land in Illinois, and you can do so right now. Contact us today.
