Minnesota Land Economics

The one-stop source for the land data you need

Welcome to MLE

Fast, easy, and accurate

Picture of hands holding plantWelcome. This is the place to build your own Minnesota land dataset. Use the menu below: just click on the subject you need and follow the simple instructions.

Picture of a pencilWe modify our data as updates become available and as errors and omissions are brought to our attention. It's best to check back here for current numbers before you make decisions based on the data you find on Minnesota Land Economics. Whatever is current is correct--to the best of our knowledge.

This site is maintained by the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Partial financial support has been provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, and the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Data is obtained from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, the University of Minnesota's Department of Soil, Water and Climate, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

February 2024: Minnesota Farm Real Estate Sales: 1990-2023 (PDF)

Questions/comments?

William Lazarus wlazarus@umn.edu Phone: 612-625-8150
or
Danielle A. Becker-Rosenbaum becke073@umn.edu Phone: 612-625-1705


Let's get started!

Choose the type of data you would like to examine and push the appropriate link.


Farmland Sales   Reported to county auditors: 1990-present, by county and township/city, or by watershed, or by river basin, or by multi-county district. New data every May for previous year.


Timberland Sales   Reported to county auditors: 1990-2014 (no longer being updated), by county and township/city, or by watershed, or by river basin, or by multi-county district.


Land Values   Estimated by county assessors: 1993-present, by county and township/city, or by watershed, or by river basin, or by agricultural statistics reporting district. Includes Green Acres and Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves summaries as well as farmland and timberland estimates. New data every July (preliminary for current tax year) and November (final for current tax year).

Soils Data   Ratings calculated by University of Minnesota and NRCS soils scientists.