Macon County landowners, agricultural lenders, rural appraisers, and others who know recent farmland deals are invited to take University of Missouri Extension's annual Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey through Dec. 31.
The anonymous survey takes 5 to 10 minutes online at https://muext.us/farmlandvaluesurvey26. Respondents may estimate November 2026 values for cropland, pastureland, timberland, and recreational and hunting land in up to three counties on one form. People who know other counties can submit more than one form, according to an MU Extension news release published Wednesday.
Ryan Milhollin, an MU Extension associate professor and the survey organizer, said broad participation helps build a representative picture of Missouri's farmland market.
"Responses from people familiar with land transactions help us better understand regional differences and offer information that Missourians can use when making decisions about farmland purchases, sales, leases and investments," Milhollin said in the release.
The survey also asks about the intended use of farmland purchases and what factors are influencing the market. MU Extension said the county-level estimates complement statewide figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Chariton Media reported Oct. 14 that Macon County cash rent for non-irrigated cropland averaged $135 an acre in NASS's 2026 county survey, down $4 from 2025. That figure is what renters reported paying. The MU Extension opinion survey asks for estimated sale values by land type, not cash rents.
In the 2025 MU Extension survey, summarized in guide G401, 417 respondents provided 2,072 land-value observations between March and May 2025. Statewide, average "good" non-irrigated cropland was valued at $8,596 an acre, essentially unchanged from the prior survey. Average "good" pastureland was valued at $5,651 an acre. Timberland averaged $5,185 an acre, up 14.7 percent, and hunting or recreational land averaged $5,073 an acre, up 7.7 percent.
Macon County is in the survey's North Central region on the G401 map and is shown with enough responses to be reported. In that region, average "good" non-irrigated cropland was $8,226 an acre in 2025, below the statewide figure. Average "good" pastureland was $4,930 an acre. Timberland averaged $4,108 an acre, and hunting or recreational land averaged $3,963 an acre. The published report does not list a separate dollar figure for Macon County alone.
Results from the 2026 survey will be posted on the MU Extension website with regional estimates by land type and historical comparisons, according to the Wednesday release.
MU Extension's Macon County office is at 111 N. Rollins St. in Macon and can be reached at 660-385-2173. Hours are listed as 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, closed Fridays. Mary Sobba, a field specialist in agricultural business based in Audrain County, is listed on the Macon County faculty and staff page and serves Audrain, Linn, Macon, and Randolph counties, according to MU Extension.