How this calculator works
Price per acre puts land of different sizes on the same basis. Divide the total price by the acreage to get the rate, multiply the rate by the acreage to get the total, or divide the total by the rate to get the acreage. The area input converts acres, hectares, square feet and square metres before the calculation, so a parcel listed in any of those units can be compared directly. The parcel table applies the same rate to round sizes, which is useful for comparing a small lot with a quarter section. Land value also depends on access, zoning, drainage, services and shape, which a per-acre figure cannot capture.
Formula
price per acre = total price / area in acres. total price = price per acre x area in acres. area in acres = total price / price per acre. One acre is exactly 4,046.8564224 square metres and one hectare is 10,000 square metres, so price per hectare = price per acre x 10,000 / 4,046.8564224.
Worked example
A $250,000 parcel of 50 acres is $5,000 per acre, which is about $12,355.27 per hectare. At that rate, 10 acres would be $50,000, 40 acres would be $200,000 and a 160-acre quarter section would be $800,000.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a quarter section 160 acres?
Yes, in the US Public Land Survey System and in the Canadian Prairie provinces a quarter section is 160 acres, or one quarter of a 640-acre section. It is about 64.75 hectares.
Should the price include buildings and equipment?
Use the price that goes with the land you are comparing. If a barn, house or machinery is included, either remove its value or compare parcels with similar improvements. A bare-land price per acre is the cleanest comparison.
How do I compare a price per acre with a price per square foot?
Convert one to the other with the exact acre definition: divide a price per acre by 43,560 to get a price per square foot. The calculator shows the area in both units so you can check the conversion.
Does the shape of the parcel matter?
It can. A long, narrow parcel with little road frontage may be worth less per acre than a square parcel of the same area. The per-acre rate is a starting comparison, not a full appraisal.