Price Per Acre in South Texas: What Land Actually Costs by County
The average price per acre in Texas is around $6,500 — but that number is nearly useless for anyone buying rural land. A hunting ranch in McMullen County and a weekend cabin tract near Fredericksburg are both "Texas land," and they trade at completely different prices for completely different reasons. Here's what the numbers actually look like by region.
Data note: Ranges below reflect 2025–2026 market conditions based on Texas A&M Real Estate Center data, Texas Farm Credit pricing guides, and county appraisal district sales. Rural land markets are illiquid — individual sales vary significantly. Use these as a calibration tool, not an appraisal.
Deep South Texas — Brush Country
Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Starr, Duval, La Salle, McMullen, Zavala counties
$1,500 – $3,500 / acreWhy this region: This is where you get the most acres for your money in Texas. The tradeoff is distance from major cities, limited infrastructure, and hot, dry summers. The hunting in McMullen, La Salle, and Webb counties is world-class — that's baked into the price on anything marketed as a hunting ranch.
South-Central Texas
Live Oak, Bee, San Patricio, Goliad, Karnes, DeWitt, Wilson counties
$2,500 – $5,000 / acreWhy this region: This is the transition zone — better water, more infrastructure, and closer to San Antonio than the deep south. Live Oak County (where I own land) hits a sweet spot: good deer and turkey, reasonable water, wildlife exemption–friendly, and still affordable compared to anything north of I-10.
Hill Country
Gillespie, Kerr, Bandera, Edwards, Kimble, Mason, Real, Llano, Blanco counties
$4,500 – $10,000+ / acreWhy this region: The Hill Country has seen the most dramatic appreciation of any Texas rural region over the past decade. Austin and San Antonio buyers have pushed prices well beyond what the land produces agriculturally. If you're buying here for investment, the math is harder. If you're buying for lifestyle and proximity to a major city, the prices reflect that.
West Texas / Trans-Pecos
Pecos, Terrell, Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Culberson counties
$500 – $2,000 / acreWhy this region: You get the most acres here by far. The tradeoffs are significant: limited water, extreme heat, long drives to services, and very thin buyer pools if you ever want to sell. Good for large-scale hunting operations or true off-grid buyers. Terrible for anyone who needs infrastructure.
What drives the price — and what you're actually paying for
Price per acre is an output, not an input. Here's what moves it.
A property with a reliable water well producing 3+ GPM is worth meaningfully more than the same acreage without water. Surface water — a creek, river, or stocked tank — adds additional premium. In South Texas, a developed water source can add $200–$500 per acre to a property's value.
Texas hunting is a multibillion-dollar industry and it's priced into rural land. Properties marketed as hunting ranches with documented deer, turkey, or quail populations command 20–40% premiums over comparable bare agricultural land. McMullen and La Salle counties are extreme examples.
Paved road frontage adds value. Direct county road access is standard. Landlocked tracts — those requiring an easement across a neighbor's land to reach — sell at a discount and can be difficult to finance.
A working water well, decent perimeter fence, a cabin or hunting house, and a functional road system all add value — but rarely dollar for dollar. Over-improved properties in thin markets can be difficult to recover improvement costs on resale.
Whether minerals convey and whether there's any production or lease income can significantly affect price. In the Eagle Ford Shale region (Karnes, DeWitt, La Salle, Webb, Dimmit counties), mineral ownership is often severed and may be the most valuable part of the transaction.
The I-35 corridor (San Antonio, Austin, Waco) has pushed prices north. Anything within 2 hours of a major Texas city carries a lifestyle premium on top of agricultural value. The further you go, the more the price reflects what the land can produce rather than what a weekend buyer will pay.
The bottom line
If you're buying in South Texas for hunting and wildlife management, the $1,500–$4,000/acre range in the deep brush country gives you the most land for your money. The trade is remoteness and limited infrastructure.
If you want something closer to San Antonio with better water and more amenities, budget $3,000–$6,000/acre in the south-central zone. Live Oak, Bee, and Goliad counties hit a sweet spot between price, access, and land quality.
Hill Country prices have been pushed well past agricultural productivity value by lifestyle and proximity demand. You're buying a view and a 2-hour drive from Austin — the land itself doesn't justify the price per acre at those levels.
Next steps
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