Market Pulse
Where Phelps County stands — September 2026
What's Available
Feature breakdown of active parcels — based on listing descriptions
Land Value Metrics
Improved parcels vs. raw ground — asking prices vs. 12-month closed sales
With Structures
Land Only
| Acreage | 🏚 Improved | 🌲 Unimproved |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10 ac | $12,671 ⚠ 2 | $49,017 8 parcels |
| 10–20 ac | $59,125 4 parcels | $11,683 4 parcels |
| 20–50 ac | $9,650 12 parcels | $7,409 14 parcels |
| 50–100 ac | $5,000 3 parcels | $6,565 5 parcels |
| 100+ ac | $11,303 9 parcels | $6,875 3 parcels |
| Acreage | 🏚 Improved | 🌲 Unimproved |
|---|---|---|
| 5–10 ac | — | $8,691 12 parcels |
| 10–20 ac | $8,402 6 parcels | $8,240 16 parcels |
| 20–50 ac | $9,636 17 parcels | $4,213 14 parcels |
| 50–100 ac | $4,125 7 parcels | $3,482 9 parcels |
| 100+ ac | $9,353 3 parcels | $3,737 4 parcels |
⚠ Low Data = fewer than 3 parcels in band. Median may not be statistically representative.
Inventory Distribution
Where is active supply concentrated right now?
What This Means For You
With 64 active parcels and 64 months of supply on the books, buyers have real leverage in Phelps County right now. The single sale this period closed at $92,000, or $7,000/acre, well below last month's pace, and at a 92.1% list-to-sale ratio there's room to negotiate. With 61% of active listings offering water access and 64% carrying timber, there's solid selection for hunters and hay operators alike — just confirm road access and a dependable water source before you get serious, and don't overpay with fall hunting season pressure building.
This is a buyer's market, plain and simple — inventory is sitting at 64 parcels with months of supply stacking up, and the one closing this period sold well under list. If your ground doesn't have standout features like river or creek frontage, timber, or clean road access, expect a longer hold and softer offers than you'd like. Price it honestly against what's actually moving, lean on any water access or hunting habitat your tract offers, and get it in front of serious buyers before the fall rush fades.
Month-Over-Month
September 2026 vs. prior month — Land & Farm
| Metric | September 2026 | August 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Sold Price | $92,000 | $177,000 | ▼ 48% |
| Median List Price | $327,000 | $325,000 | ▲ 0.6% |
| Median $/Acre (Sold) | $7,000/ac | — | — |
| Avg Days on Market | 69 days | 711 days | ▲ Faster by 642 days |
| Active Parcels | 64 | 63 | ▲ 1 |
| Parcels Sold | 1 | 6 | ▼ 5 |
| Months of Supply | 64.00 mo. | 10.50 mo. | ▼ Loosening |
Featured Parcels
Selected active land & farm listings in Phelps County
Activity by Area
Active parcel distribution across communities in Phelps County
| Area | Active | Land / Farm | Median Ask | Median Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolla | 21 | 16 L / 5 F | $595K | 35.5 ac |
| St. James | 18 | 9 L / 9 F | $677K | 37.3 ac |
| Newburg | 16 | 7 L / 9 F | $248K | 42.5 ac |
| Edgar Springs | 5 | 3 L / 2 F | $275K | 23.8 ac |
Market Commentary
Our team knows this market — the creeks, the timber, the hunting ground, and the farm soil. Whether you're buying your first tract or selling the family farm, we're here to guide you.
# Phelps County Rural Land & Farm Market Report — September 2026 Sixty-four active parcels on the ground right now, and that number keeps climbing — up another one this month even as only a single tract closed. That's a 64-month supply by the numbers, which on paper looks lopsided, but anyone who's shopped rural ground knows this isn't a subdivision market where inventory turns fast. Land and farm ground moves on its own clock, and right now that clock favors buyers. Sixty-nine days average on market, a list-to-sale ratio down to 92.1%, and a median sold price of $92,000 against a median ask of $327,000 tells you sellers with realistic numbers are getting deals done, while overpriced ground is sitting. If you're selling, price it where the comps actually are — not where you wish they were. If you're buying, you've got room to negotiate and time to be particular. The character of what's listed right now plays right into the hands of the hunting and recreational crowd. Sixty-four percent of active listings carry timber or wooded acreage, 61% have creek, river, or pond frontage, and 57% mention hunting habitat outright — that's the Gasconade corridor effect showing up in the data. Water and timber command a premium here, and with archery season underway and firearms season on the horizon, serious hunters are walking ground now to lock in creek bottoms and timbered ridges before the ground gets covered up by someone else. Rolla and St. James continue to carry the county's higher price tags — $595,000 and $677,450 median ask respectively — reflecting larger tracts and the steady pull of Missouri S&T's income buyer pool looking to put money into lifestyle acreage. Newburg and Edgar Springs offer a more accessible entry point, with Newburg's $247,500 median ask on 42.5 acres standing out as the best acreage-per-dollar value in the county right now. For working ag buyers, the pasture and hay ground segment is thinner — only 28% of listings mention tillable or pasture acreage, so if you're looking to expand a cattle operation or need hay ground before next cutting season, don't wait on this one; it moves differently than recreational timber tracts. Across the board, the fundamentals buyers ask about first — road access, water source, utilities — remain the deciding factor on what sells versus what sits at 69 days and climbing. With supply this deep and only one closed sale on the books this month, patient, well-financed buyers have genuine leverage. Sellers who want to be that one closed transaction next month should price to the $7,000/acre sold median, not the $8,509/acre asking median — the gap between those two numbers is where deals are actually happening.