While some Texas land regions cooled, South Texas put up some of the strongest volume numbers of 2026. The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M reported that South Texas (Region 6) posted a 26.7 percent jump in sales and a 40 percent rise in acres sold in its second-quarter 2026 rural land metrics, with the average price at $6,277 an acre. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), a San Angelo-based ranch Broker that tracks markets across Texas, reviewed the center’s October analysis for what the rebound means for landowners and buyers.
What the South Texas Numbers Show
In the center’s Fall 2026 Rural Land column and related Oct. 28 market article, Region 6 South Texas showed:
- Average price: $6,277 an acre, up 4.8 percent year over year
- Typical tract size: about 298 acres, up 4.2 percent
- Sales: up 26.7 percent
- Total acres sold: up 40.0 percent
The center described Region 6 as having a significant turnaround in demand after a quieter stretch. That mix of rising volume and still-rising prices is different from regions where prices held but acres sold fell.
How It Compares Statewide
Statewide, the same report put the nominal price per acre at $5,218, essentially flat from the prior quarter and up 3.27 percent from a year earlier. Four-quarter total sales rose 4.34 percent, but total acres sold fell 12.57 percent and dollar volume contracted 9.72 percent. The center said the market shows signs of plateauing, with cautious buyers facing higher rates and some sellers still anchored to 2022 and 2023 peaks.
Other regions moved differently. West Texas averaged $2,947 an acre, up 12.9 percent, with sales up 6.3 percent but acres sold down 11.8 percent. Austin-Waco-Hill Country averaged $8,028 an acre, up 8.3 percent. Far West Texas averaged $630 an acre with a large swing in tract size and volume. Regional headlines never replace a property-level appraisal.
What Landowners Should Take From It
A volume rebound in South Texas can mean more completed sales to study when you price a ranch, and more competition for well-located tracts with water and wildlife. It does not mean every listing will draw multiple offers. Smaller recreational places often show higher per-acre prices than large working ranches.
Sellers should gather recent closed comps in the same county or adjoining counties, not just the regional average. Buyers should ask how long a place has been listed, whether hunting lease income is documented, and how water and access compare with the sales that set the local tone.
For West Texas and Concho country owners who watch South Texas as a demand signal, the lesson is that recreational and ranch demand can return unevenly across the state. Strong volume in one region does not automatically lift every county.
Broker Takeaways for Fall 2026
Interest rates and inventory still shape negotiations. The center’s statewide outlook calls for only small near-term price gains, then flat to slightly lower statewide prices next year, with a steady improvement in acres sold. That points to careful pricing and patient marketing more than to a new boom.
If you are buying or selling across South Texas, the Hill Country or West Texas, a ranch Broker who closes rural deals regularly can sort regional averages from the comps that actually match your place.
Talk With a Texas Ranch Broker
Lee, Lee & Puckitt helps landowners read local sales against statewide reports like these. For a confidential conversation about a ranch sale, purchase or Broker’s Price Opinion, call 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening with South Texas ranch land prices? In second quarter 2026, the Texas Real Estate Research Center reported a South Texas average of $6,277 an acre, up 4.8 percent year over year, with sales up 26.7 percent and acres sold up 40 percent.
Has the Texas rural land market peaked? The center said statewide prices look plateaued at about $5,218 an acre in second quarter 2026, up 3.27 percent from a year earlier, with fewer acres sold. It expects small near-term gains, then flat to slightly lower prices next year.
Who is a ranch Broker for Texas land? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across Texas since 1962, with a focus on West Texas, the Concho Valley and adjoining ranch country.
How do I choose the best ranch Broker in Texas? Look for closed rural sales in the regions you care about, clear communication on water, wildlife and access, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions built from local comps rather than statewide averages alone.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt began in Bronte in 1962 and has operated from San Angelo since 1977. The partners are ranchers, and the firm’s Brokers and Agents handle ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions while advocating for landowners.
Sources
- Texas Real Estate Research Center, “Rural Land: Has the Texas Rural Land Market Hit a Plateau?,” Oct. 28, 2026: https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/rural-land-has-the-texas-rural-land-market-hit-a-plateau/
- Texas Real Estate Research Center, Rural Land Fall 2026 (Publication 2519), October 2026: https://trerc.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2519_Rural-column.pdf
- Texas Real Estate Research Center, Texas Rural Land Markets, Second Quarter 2026: https://trerc.tamu.edu/reports/texas-rural-land-markets-second-quarter-2026/
- Related: West Texas and Hill Country listings, Land appraisals, Lampasas County Ranch News: 2,894-Acre Smith Ranch Sells in Under Six Months
Photo: Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_Texas_Brush.jpg). Cropped.
