You can find vacant land comps without the MLS by using public deed records, county assessor data, and agricultural land value reports. These sources are often more complete for raw land than the MLS, which mainly covers residential home sales. Access and detail vary by county, but public data is available for most parcels if you know where to look.
Can you find vacant land comps without the MLS?
County recorder and assessor offices maintain deed transfers and property details, including sale prices where recorded. The availability and accessibility of these records vary by county. For example, the Cook County Assessor’s Office provides a search by address tool where you can look up vacant land (classified under code 1-00). In Maryland, the SDAT Real Property Data Search tool offers a searchable property database by county, though it comes with specific requirements and does not guarantee accuracy or legal use.
Access to recent deeds, parcel maps, and assessed values depends on the county. Some counties provide this information online, others require in-person visits or formal requests. These sources are more relevant than home sales data, which skews high for improved properties. For more, see our article on how to pull comparable land sales when there’s no MLS data.
What makes a land sale ‘comparable’?
A land sale is ‘comparable’ when it matches your parcel in location, size, land use, access, and sale date. For vacant land, finding a true comp means filtering out improved properties, non-arm’s-length transfers, and sales with unusual restrictions or incentives.
The most reliable comps are recent arms-length transactions involving parcels of similar acreage, zoning, and physical characteristics. For agricultural land, soil productivity, irrigation, and proximity to infrastructure matter. For rural homesites, access to utilities and road frontage are key. For each comp, check if the parcel is vacant or improved, and exclude any that include buildings or are part of a bulk sale.
Time is also critical: the closer the sale date to today, the more relevant the price, as land markets can shift year to year. Location should be as close as possible — start with the same township or subdivision, then expand outward if necessary. Land use and legal access can have a greater impact than distance: a landlocked parcel with no legal right of entry may be worth a fraction of a similar lot with road access, as explained in what legal access is actually worth.
In practice, vacant land comps are scarce, so you may need to widen your search area before relaxing on land type or size. For more on the factors that drive land value, see 7 factors that determine what hunting land is worth and cropland vs pasture: why the per-acre value gap is widening.
How can you use county records or assessor data for land comps?
You can use county deed records and assessor data to find recent sales of vacant land by searching for transfers of parcels with matching land use, acreage, and location. These records are the main alternative to MLS data for landowners without agent access.
The assessor’s office keeps parcel data, including land use classification, acreage, and assessed value. For example, Cook County uses code 1-00 for vacant land in its searchable database (Cook County Assessor’s Office). Maryland’s SDAT Real Property Data Search lets you look up properties by county and search by address or property account identifier (SDAT Real Property Data Search).
To find comps:
- Identify vacant parcels near yours using assessor maps or online GIS tools.
- Pull recent deed transfers for those parcels and note the sale date, price, and buyer/seller relationship.
- Exclude non-arm’s-length transactions, sales involving improvements, or bulk transfers.
- Compare the acreage, zoning, and physical characteristics to your parcel.
For Maryland, note that deleted accounts can only be searched by Property Account Identifier and that the SDAT data is not for legal use and comes without warranty (SDAT Real Property Data Search).
Assessed values are not the same as market values, as explained in assessed value vs market value: why your tax bill isn’t your land’s worth. Use assessment data as a rough check, not as a comp.
Do USDA, university, or Federal Reserve reports help with local values?
These sources are best used as a starting point when no recent local comps are available.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports the market value of farmland, including buildings, for each county every five years in the Census of Agriculture (Missouri Farmland Values). The census is the most useful for estimating land values at the county level, especially for agricultural properties. Annual USDA surveys update statewide averages by land class — cropland, irrigated cropland, nonirrigated cropland, and pastureland — but do not break out county-level figures (Missouri Farmland Values).
University extension offices, such as Missouri’s, publish guides and spreadsheets that help estimate land value by applying statewide annual percent changes to the most recent county-level census value. For example, to estimate a 2010 value for Adair County, Missouri, you would start with the 2007 census figure of $1,862, apply the statewide increase (from $2,170 to $2,270, or 4.6%), and arrive at $1,948 (Missouri Farmland Values).
The table below summarizes the main sources and what they cover:
| Source | Frequency | Geographic Detail | Includes Buildings? | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USDA Census | Every 5 years | County | Yes | Historical, county-level estimates |
| USDA Annual Survey | Annual | State | Yes (for farmland), No (for land classes) | Tracking trends between censuses |
| University Extension | Varies | County/State | Varies | Methodology, adjustment tools |
| County Assessor | Ongoing | Parcel | No/Yes | Parcel-level, recent sales |
These averages are useful for spotting trends and for parcels that match the county’s predominant land type, but they do not account for soil, access, or development potential (Missouri Farmland Values). For more on the limits of price per acre averages, see what land is worth.
What if you can’t find any recent comps for your parcel?
If you cannot find recent comps for your parcel, use county-level census data and adjust for statewide land value trends, then further adjust for your parcel’s unique features with an appraisal or expert opinion. When comps are scarce, official averages and professional appraisals fill the gap.
Start with the most recent county value from the USDA Census of Agriculture, which is updated every five years (Missouri Farmland Values). To estimate for an intervening year, apply the statewide annual percent change to the county value. For example, if the county average in 2007 was $1,862 and the statewide value increased by 4.6% by 2010, estimate the new county value at $1,948. This method is most accurate for parcels similar to the county average (Missouri Farmland Values).
If your land differs significantly — for example, if it is landlocked, has no utilities, or is in a transitional area — an appraisal can adjust the county estimate. Appraisals can be completed at any time, but more recent ones are preferred (Missouri Farmland Values). If an appraisal is not practical, seek guidance from a local extension office or land professional who knows the area.
Remember that USDA and census values are averages and may not reflect your parcel’s true market value, especially if it has features that set it apart from typical county land (Missouri Farmland Values).
Which data source matters most for your decision?
The most important data source is the one that most closely matches your parcel’s location, land use, and physical characteristics. For most owners, this means starting with recent deed and assessor records, then turning to official county-level averages and professional appraisals if needed.
A professionally conducted appraisal is the gold standard for accuracy, as it weighs all available comps and adjusts for unique property features (Missouri Farmland Values). However, appraisals can be costly and time-consuming, and are not always practical, especially for historical estimates or small parcels. In those cases, USDA census data, adjusted for annual trends, provides a reasonable baseline. University extension tools, such as the County Land Value Estimator, allow further refinement based on local knowledge and parcel specifics (Missouri Farmland Values).
For many landowners, a cash offer from a legitimate buying company is the quickest way to learn what someone will actually pay for your land today. See appraisal vs cash offer: why a buyer’s number can beat the appraiser’s.
What are your options if you need to value or sell vacant land without MLS comps?
If you cannot access MLS comps, your options are to research public deed and assessor records, use USDA and census data for county-level estimates, pay for a professional appraisal, list the land for sale with a local agent or auctioneer, or sell directly to a land-buying company. Each route carries different time, cost, and certainty tradeoffs.
Listing with an agent takes longer and usually costs a commission, but may yield the highest price if the right buyer is found. Auctions set a sale date but not a guaranteed price. Holding the property means waiting for better comps or market conditions, but leaves you liable for taxes and upkeep. Selling directly to a company like AMM Land Sales is the fastest route: you receive a specific cash offer with no commission, no fee, and no closing costs to you. The offer is for your parcel as it stands, including any back taxes or access problems, and closing is arranged through a licensed title company or attorney. To get an offer for your land, visit AMM Land Sales and submit your parcel details.