Texas
Texas rural land sales continue, but slow – Texas Farm Bureau
By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist
Demand for Texas rural land continues as the state’s population grows and families and individuals look for property outside the city limits, but sales activity has slowed, according to the recently published Texas Rural Land Value Trends report.
“Demand for rural property on a statewide level has continued on an upward plane, but at a slower pace than we saw post-pandemic,” said R. Mike Lansford, president of the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA), in the latest report.
Across the state, buyers are focused on quality properties, which has led to higher average land prices.
“Texas land markets have turned a corner, going from the frenzied 2021-2022 markets to more sedate levels of activity. Buyers now focus on quality properties resulting in higher average prices even as total transactions volume has ebbed. The fourth quarter of 2023 saw annual sales volume slip 44.60% to 3,699 from the same period year-over-year,” the report said.
Sales activity has dropped significantly over the last 18 months to levels not seen since 2013, according to the report.
The 2023 Rural Land Value Trends report also noted the following:
- A total of 279,509 acres changed hands, down 61.17% over 2022.
- Total dollar volume, at $1.31 billion, declined by 59% over the prior annualized total.
- Prices increased 50.4% to $4,670 through 2023 based on fourth-quarter data.
Although the total number of sales is down, prices continue to rise.
“Total dollar volume, at $1.31 billion, declined by 59.21 percent over the prior annualized total. A total of 279,509 acres changed hands, down 61.17 percent over 2022. These results suggest that market activity has fallen below normal levels at high prices,” the report stated.
The report also looks at land prices and leasing rates for various types of property from irrigated cropland to rangeland and CRP land to timberland, as well as hunting leases.
The report covers Texas in seven regions with smaller sub-regions.
- Region 1: North Panhandle, South Plains
- Region 2: Far Wes Texas, Big Bend, Trans-Pecos
- Region 3: North Texas, Central Texas, South Central Texas
- Region 4: North Texas, Northeast Texas, Piney Woods North, Piney Woods South
- Region 5: Eastern Coastal Prairie, Southeaster Piney Woods, Southwestern Piney Woods, Brazos Bottom, Houston Area, Central Coastal Prairie, North Coastal Prairie, Bellville and Brenham areas
- Region 6: Transition Zone, Upper South Texas, Lower South Texas, Coastal Plains, Coastal Bend, Rio Grande Valley
- Region 7: Southern Grand Prairie, Central Basin, Central Blacklands, Grand Prairie, North Central Post Oaks, East Edwards Plateau, Central Blacklands, Southern Post Oaks, Eastern Hill Country, Western Hill Country a recently published land trends report.
Texas chapter members of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers from all seven regions provide data to develop the annual market study. The annual study was created in the late 1990s in cooperation with Dr. Charles Gilliland, research economist at The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.
Download the Texas Rural Land Value Trends for 2023 here.
Texas
World Cup crowds pack watch spots across DFW
Texas
Search for missing man at Benbrook Lake slowed by high winds, rough water, officials say
Texas Game Wardens are searching Benbrook Lake for a missing man in a possible drowning, but high winds and choppy water are slowing rescue efforts, an official said Saturday.
The call about the potential drowning came in around 1 p.m.
“It’s still very early, and I don’t have much shareable information yet,” said Maggie Berger, a spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, just after 3 p.m.
Berger said updates would be released as soon as they become available.
State urges safety awareness
She said the possible fatality at Benbrook Lake is one of several that Texas Game Wardens are working on this weekend across the state.
As a result, she said the department is urging the public to review water and boating safety guidance.
In 2025, Texas recorded 178 reportable boating incidents that led to 50 deaths and 77 serious injuries.
Eighty‑four percent of those who died were not wearing a life jacket, and Texas Game Wardens made 223 Boating While Intoxicated arrests last year.
Basic precautions for boaters
Texas Game Wardens urge boaters to follow basic safety steps before heading out:
- Wear a life jacket – it must be U.S. Coast Guard–approved, and children under 13 must wear one while the boat is moving.
- Stay sober on the water – never operate a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Use the engine cut‑off switch – if your boat has one, the operator needs to wear the lanyard or keep the fob on their person.
- Travel at a safe speed and keep a lookout for other boats, swimmers, and hazards.
- Complete a boater education course – required for anyone born on or after Sept. 1, 1993.
- Check the weather and be ready for sudden changes.
- Share a float plan with someone you trust.
- Avoid overloading the boat – too much weight can make a vessel unstable.
Rules for paddlers statewide
State rules require anyone in a paddlecraft to have a life jacket that meets U.S. Coast Guard standards, and kids younger than 13 must keep theirs on at all times.
Paddlers also need to carry a whistle or another device that can make a loud sound, and they must display a white light visible from every direction when they’re on the water after dark, during low‑light hours or in poor visibility.
Anonymous tips encouraged
The department is also asking the public to quickly report any unsafe or illegal activity on the water, noting that tips can be submitted anonymously. Rewards of up to $1,000 are available for information that leads to convictions for violations of boating, fishing, or wildlife laws.
People can send a tip by texting TXOGT and their information to 847411, using the Texas OGT app on iOS or Android, or calling the anonymous hotline at 800‑792‑GAME (4263). Tipsters are encouraged to include any details, photos, or videos that could help investigators.
CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Texas
A truck crash released 20 million bees. Local beekeepers rushed to save them.
Beekeeper Christie Ray arrived at the scene and was stunned. She knew a swarm of honeybees had escaped after a truck overturned on a Texas road, but nothing prepared her for what she saw.
About 20 million bees were flying in groups so large they resembled dark clouds. So many sat on a tree branch that it broke. The air smelled like honey, beeswax and bananas, the odor bees release when they sting.
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