Reviewed September 2026 against USDA NASS Census of Agriculture and USDA NASS Land Values reports.

Try it: Run your own numbers →

Agricultural Land for Sale in South Carolina: What the 2022 Census and 2025 Land Values Actually Show

South Carolina had 22,600 farms covering 4.6 million acres at the time of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, and the state’s farm real estate averaged $4,180 per acre in 2025 — up 4.5% from the prior year, according to USDA NASS’s August 2025 Land Values summary. That is below the $4,500 per acre US average and well below the $6,020 per acre national average for cropland specifically, both reported in USDA NASS’s 2026 Land Values release. If you’re searching “land for sale near me” from within South Carolina, or comparing the state’s farm output against South Dakota or South Korea, this article works through the actual government figures rather than generic land-buying advice.

1. The Short Answer: SC Land Prices and What’s For Sale

Three numbers anchor any search for agricultural land for sale in South Carolina. First, the state’s 4.6 million acres of farmland (2022 Census) are split across 22,600 farms — an average farm size of roughly 204 acres, though listings range from small horticultural plots to timber tracts running into the thousands of acres. Second, the statewide average value of farm real estate was $4,180 per acre in 2025, per USDA NASS’s Land Values report (nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/land0825.pdf) — that figure blends cropland, pasture, and land with farm buildings, so a parcel of row-crop-ready soil near a gin or packing shed will typically list above the average, while cutover timberland or unimproved pasture lists below it. Third, that $4,180 average rose 4.5% year-over-year from 2024, meaning list prices you see now are following a state trend that has been moving upward, not flat.

USDA does not publish a live, per-parcel “land for sale” listing service — that function sits with commercial platforms and licensed brokers, and NASS itself flags that current land prices should be checked against those sources for any live transaction. What the Census and Land Values reports give you instead is the benchmark: a way to sanity-check whether a specific asking price is close to, above, or below what the rest of the state’s farmland is trading for.

2. South Carolina’s Agricultural Products, by the Numbers

South Carolina agricultural products span row crops, poultry, cattle, and timber, and the state’s own NASS statistics designate cotton as South Carolina’s #1 cash crop while soybeans hold the largest planted acreage of any single crop, per USDA NASS’s South Carolina state statistics page (nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/South_Carolina/index.php). Those two designations answer the most common question about the state’s ag economy: cotton earns the most per acre in cash receipts, but soybeans are planted on more total ground because they rotate easily with corn and cotton and tolerate a wider range of South Carolina’s soils.

Livestock and poultry are the other half of the picture, and the 2017 Census figures — the most recent full inventory breakdown NASS has published for the state — put South Carolina’s broiler and meat-type chicken inventory at 49,969,013 birds, its cattle and calf inventory at 326,114 head, its turkey inventory at 7,528,303 birds, and its layer hen inventory at 4,002,121 birds. Broiler production alone was valued at $1,008,353,000 in the 2021 Census cycle. These are large, capital-intensive operations — a modern broiler house complex represents a different kind of land purchase than a row-crop tract, with different infrastructure, water, and waste-management requirements to inspect before buying.

• 🌽 Row Crops: Cotton (#1 cash crop), soybeans (largest acreage), corn, peanuts
• 🍑 Fruits: Peaches, watermelons, strawberries, blueberries
• 🥬 Vegetables: Leafy greens, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, cucumbers
• 🐓 Poultry & Livestock: Broilers (49.97M birds), turkeys (7.53M birds), layers (4.00M birds), cattle (326,114 head)
• 🌲 Forestry: Timber, pine straw, wood chips
• 🦐 Aquaculture: Catfish, shrimp, tilapia, oysters
• 🌼 Specialty Crops: Pecans, nursery plants, cut flowers
• Try it: Run your own numbers

For up-to-date acreage, yield, and production figures on cotton and soybeans specifically — the 2025–2026 numbers are not yet reflected in the last published Census — go directly to USDA NASS Quick Stats (nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=SOUTH+CAROLINA), select South Carolina, then the commodity and metric you need. NASS releases fall-crop data in the August–October window each year and updates spring plantings in June, so a search in early autumn will typically show the current season’s harvest progress rather than final numbers.

2.1 Specialty Crops and Forestry

Beyond the commodity crops, South Carolina’s sandy loams support pecan groves, and its acidic soils with mild winter chill favor blueberries and strawberries. Sweet potatoes are grown on well-drained ground across the Coastal Plain. Nursery, greenhouse, and cut-flower operations are a growing part of the state’s specialty-crop mix, though NASS’s public releases don’t currently carry a state-specific production-value figure for that horticultural sector — if you need one for a business case, the Census of Agriculture’s Nursery, Greenhouse, Floriculture and Sod section (updated with each five-year Census cycle) is the place to check, alongside NASS’s Specialty Crops program page.

Forestry is a separate but adjoining land-use category from row-crop or pasture farmland, and much of what gets marketed as “agricultural land for sale” in South Carolina is actually mixed-use — cropland or pasture bordered by or interspersed with timber stands. Pine, hardwood, and cypress harvesting, along with pine straw and wood chip sales, supplement landowner income on properties that aren’t in row crops year-round.

3. How South Carolina Compares: South Dakota, South Korea, and the US

People searching for South Carolina agricultural land often also compare the state against other markets — South Dakota’s crop belt, South Korea’s import-dependent agricultural sector, or the national US average. Here’s what the government data actually shows for each.

3.1 South Carolina vs. the US Average

South Carolina’s $4,180 per acre average farm real estate value (2025) sits $320 below the US average of $4,500 per acre reported in USDA NASS’s July 2026 Land Values release (nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/land0726.pdf). That same national report breaks the US average into use categories: cropland averaged $6,020 per acre and pastureland averaged $2,000 per acre nationally. South Carolina’s blended $4,180 figure sits between those two national use-category averages, which is consistent with the state’s mix of row-crop ground, pasture, and timber-adjacent land — NASS’s state-level report doesn’t break South Carolina out by cropland vs. pastureland separately, so if you need that split for South Carolina specifically, the quarterly Land Values report (released each January, April, July, and October) is where to check for an update.

3.2 South Carolina vs. South Dakota Agricultural Products

South Dakota’s agricultural economy runs on a different mix than South Carolina’s — spring wheat, corn, soybeans, and cattle grazing across the Great Plains, versus South Carolina’s cotton, soybeans, poultry, and Coastal Plain vegetable and fruit production. Both states report soybeans among their leading crops, but South Dakota’s production sits within a Plains grain-and-cattle system while South Carolina’s is a Southeastern row-crop-and-poultry system with a longer growing season and different soil types (sandy loams and Coastal Plain soils vs. South Dakota’s prairie and glacial-till soils). For current South Dakota agricultural product statistics — acreage, production volumes, and cash receipts by commodity — USDA NASS publishes a parallel state statistics page and Quick Stats filter for South Dakota, structured the same way as the South Carolina pages cited throughout this article; search “South Dakota” in NASS’s Statistics by State index to reach it.

3.3 South Carolina vs. South Korea Agricultural Products

South Korea’s agricultural sector is structurally different from South Carolina’s: it is a small, mountainous, land-constrained country that imports a large share of its grain and feed needs, with domestic production concentrated in rice, vegetables, and specialty horticulture on comparatively small farm holdings, supported by government price-support and import-quota policy rather than the export-oriented commodity model common in US row-crop states. South Carolina, by contrast, is a net agricultural exporter within the US system, with 4.6 million acres of farmland (2022 Census) spread across 22,600 farms and a commodity mix — cotton, soybeans, broilers — geared toward domestic and export markets rather than import substitution. This publication’s research base is USDA NASS data on US states; South Korea’s agricultural statistics are compiled by that country’s own government agencies (Statistics Korea and South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), and neither of those sources was available for citation in this research pass — treat any specific South Korea production figures you find elsewhere as needing direct verification against those agencies before you rely on them, since this article’s evidence base does not extend to South Korean government data.

4. Evaluating Agricultural Land for Sale in South Carolina

With 22,600 farms averaging around 204 acres across South Carolina’s 4.6 million farmland acres, listings run from small specialty-crop plots to large row-crop and timber tracts. Selecting the right property means checking a specific set of factors before you compare it against the state’s $4,180-per-acre benchmark:

1. Soil health & type: Well-drained sandy loams suit row crops (cotton, soybeans); heavier soils suit pasture or timber.
2. Water access: Irrigation potential, well capacity, and proximity to rivers — especially important for poultry operations, which have significant water and waste-permit requirements.
3. Infrastructure: Existing fencing, irrigation lines, grain storage, poultry houses, and road access all affect both operating cost and resale value.
4. Market proximity: Distance to cotton gins, grain elevators, poultry processors, or produce packing houses affects logistics cost and, ultimately, net margin.
5. Conservation and land-use restrictions: Check for conservation easements, floodplain designations, and county zoning before assuming a parcel can convert to your intended use.

Satellite-based land cover history is useful here because it shows you what a parcel has actually grown, and how consistently, rather than relying on a seller’s description. Farmonaut’s tools can pull multi-year vegetation index history on a specific parcel so you can see whether a field has been in continuous row-crop production, cycled through fallow periods, or only recently been cleared from timber — a distinction that matters both for soil condition and for whether the land qualifies for certain USDA program enrollments.

For investors assessing farm and plantation properties, our AI satellite analytics and resource management API (see our API platform) deliver vegetation health, irrigation planning, and land-use history for a specific tract before you commit to a purchase.

• ✅ Dedicated land evaluation: Use historical imagery and vegetation-index data for rapid property screening
• 🏞 Farm expansion support: Identify nearby tracts with compatible soils, water, and infrastructure
• 💸 Budget against the benchmark: Compare an asking price to the $4,180/acre state average and the $4,500/acre US average before negotiating
• ⚠ Common Mistake: Skipping the county zoning and floodplain check before assuming row-crop conversion is allowed
• 📑 Due diligence: Pull multi-year yield and vegetation data, and check for any conservation easement recorded against the deed

5. Land Price Calculator

Use the numbers from Sections 1 and 3 to check whether a specific South Carolina listing is priced above, at, or below the state and national benchmarks — enter the asking price and acreage below.

Assumptions: compares a flat price-per-acre against published USDA NASS state and national averages only. It does not account for improvements (poultry houses, irrigation, grain storage), timber value, mineral rights, or county-level price variation within South Carolina — those require an appraisal or local broker comparison in addition to this benchmark check.

6. South Carolina Department of Agriculture: Programs That Affect a Purchase

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) administers programs that can affect the value and usability of a parcel you’re evaluating — branding certification, licensing, and market access that a buyer should factor into a purchase decision, not just a general economic-development function.

• • Product branding and market access: Certified SC Grown and related branding programs that can add market value to produce grown on a given tract
• • Training and certification: Pesticide licensing, extension workshops, and compliance guidance for both beginning and established operators
• • Market development programs: Support for local food hubs, farmers’ markets, and specialty crop investment
• • Research and innovation partnerships: Work with universities and conservation districts on soil, water, and pest management practices
• • Risk management and regulatory information: Disease outbreak response and compliance guidance for livestock and poultry operations

For a poultry-capable parcel specifically, check SCDA and county-level permitting requirements before assuming an existing broiler house can be reactivated or expanded — waste-management permits and water-use approvals are tied to the operation, not just the structure, and lapse if a facility sits idle.

Extension Services & Local Partnerships

• Land and soil conservation districts provide county-level technical support
• Local governments coordinate with SCDA on regional water and pest management planning
• Extension partnerships support agroforestry and mixed-use operations across rural counties

7. Forestry and Mineral Land Alongside Farmland

A meaningful share of what’s marketed as agricultural land for sale in South Carolina includes a timber component, and integrated land management can smooth out commodity-price swings on a mixed-use tract:

• 🌲 Timber operations on plantation properties generate income alongside row crops or grazing, on a longer harvest cycle than annual crops
• 🐦 Agroforestry systems (tree crops, windbreaks, pasture) support soil protection and water management
• 🌍 Mineral or gemstone sites, where present, require separate water-quality and reclamation review before combining with farming or forestry use

If a listing includes standing timber, get a separate timber cruise and valuation — the land’s per-acre agricultural benchmark ($4,180/acre statewide) does not capture standing timber value, which is priced independently by species, age, and market conditions at the time of harvest.

8. Comparative Summary Table: SC’s Agricultural Landscape

The figures below combine the 2022 Census (farm count, acreage, livestock inventory), the 2025 and 2026 USDA NASS Land Values reports (per-acre values), and the 2021 Census production value for broilers — the most recent published figures for each metric, with their vintage noted.

9. Farmonaut Tools for Land and Crop Decisions

Farmonaut’s platform is built to give buyers, producers, and land managers a data layer that USDA’s periodic reports don’t provide: parcel-specific, continuously updated satellite monitoring.

• 🛰 Satellite-Based Crop Monitoring: Regular vegetation-index updates for analyzing crop and forestry vigor on a specific tract
• 🧠 AI-Driven Advisory: Jeevn AI delivers weather forecasts and tailored agronomic advice
• 🔗 Blockchain Traceability: Source and production-method authentication for buyers who need supply-chain verification (learn how)
• 💳 Loan & Insurance Verification: Field monitoring data to support crop financing and insurance claims
• 🚜 Fleet & Infrastructure Management: Equipment tracking for larger acquisitions (explore benefits)
• 🌱 Environmental Impact Tracking: Carbon sequestration and sustainability monitoring via our carbon footprinting tools

Access is available via web, Android, and iOS platforms, plus a full API for integration with farm and land management systems.

• ✔ Simplified regulatory tracking via digital record-keeping
• 📊 Multi-year yield history for benchmarking a specific parcel against county averages
• ⚙️ Integration flexibility for small and large-scale operations (see large-scale management)
• 🌏 Scalable from individual plots to large timberland holdings
• 💡 Resource efficiency — fertilizer timing and water management

10. FAQ

Conclusion

South Carolina’s 22,600 farms and 4.6 million acres (2022 Census) sit in a state where farmland averaged $4,180 per acre in 2025 — below the $4,500 US average but rising faster (4.5% year-over-year) than the flat comparison suggests. Cotton leads on cash value and soybeans lead on acreage, poultry contributes over a billion dollars in production value, and forestry runs alongside much of the state’s mixed-use land. None of those numbers are static: USDA NASS refreshes Land Values quarterly and Quick Stats commodity data through the harvest season, so the durable move — for any state, not just South Carolina — is to benchmark a listing against the current government figures rather than the prior year’s, and to verify soil, water, and permit status on the specific parcel before you buy.

Evaluating a South Carolina land purchase or expansion? Try Farmonaut for parcel-level satellite analytics, or explore our API and platform options above.