--- title: Land Price per Acre Near Austin and I-35 | Roesinger description: "What drives land price per acre near Austin and I-35: utilities, CCN, access, floodplain, ETJ, ag rollback taxes, and how to value land with a worked example." image: https://www.roesingercre.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Flex%20Industrial%20Building%20at%20Golden%20Hour.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources/land-price-per-acre-austin-i35#main) [RROESINGERCOMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE](https://www.roesingercre.com/?hsLang=en) [What we do](https://www.roesingercre.com/home?hsLang=en#what-we-do) [Services](https://www.roesingercre.com/home?hsLang=en#services) [Where we focus](https://www.roesingercre.com/home?hsLang=en#focus) [Our approach](https://www.roesingercre.com/home?hsLang=en#approach) [Resources](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources?hsLang=en) [512.949.1418](tel:+15129491418)[Free consultation](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources/land-price-per-acre-austin-i35#contact) [Home](https://www.roesingercre.com/?hsLang=en)/[Resources](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources?hsLang=en)/Land price per acre around Austin and I-35 Land # Land price per acre around Austin and I-35 Two tracts a mile apart on the I-35 corridor can trade at very different prices per acre. Utilities, access, floodplain, jurisdiction and entitlement status explain most of the gap, and a residual land value model tells you what a builder can actually afford to pay. By **Zach Roesinger**, Designated Broker, Roesinger LLCUpdated October 12, 2026[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.roesingercre.com%2Fresources%2Fland-price-per-acre-austin-i35)[Post on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.roesingercre.com%2Fresources%2Fland-price-per-acre-austin-i35&text=Land+price+per+acre+around+Austin+and+I-35&via=LandmanZachATX) **Short answer:** Land price per acre around Austin and along I-35 depends less on the acreage than on what can be built and how soon. Tracts with water and wastewater service, paved frontage, little floodplain and settled jurisdiction sell for multiples of raw acreage without them. For context, the Texas Real Estate Research Center reported 2025 rural land in its Austin-Waco-Hill Country region at $7,911 per acre. Development land is valued by comparable sales and by residual land value. ## What a published price per acre does and does not tell you The [Texas Real Estate Research Center's Spring 2026 rural land report](https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/rural-land-spring-2026/) put the 2025 statewide rural land price at $5,214 per acre, up 6.6% from 2024, and the Austin-Waco-Hill Country region at $7,911 per acre, up about 8%. Those are useful benchmarks for farm, ranch and recreational tracts. They are not a price for a 10-acre industrial pad on a frontage road in Kyle or Georgetown, which can trade for many times that number. We do not publish a single price range for corridor land because the spread between unserved acreage and served, entitled pads is too wide to summarize honestly. Pull recent closed sales of truly similar tracts instead. ## The factors that move price per acre | Factor | Pushes price up | Pushes price down | | --- | --- | --- | | Water and wastewater | Existing lines at the property line with capacity | Septic only, line extensions, or a capacity wait | | CCN holder | Provider that can and will serve on a known timeline | Provider without capacity or a release fight | | Frontage and access | Paved frontage, existing curb cuts, truck-friendly routes | Easement-only access, no TxDOT driveway approval, weight-limited roads | | Floodplain | Little or no FEMA floodplain on the usable area | Large 100-year floodplain or drainage easements | | Jurisdiction and zoning | Zoned for the intended use, or a clear county path | Zoning change needed, opposition likely | | Topography and soils | Flat, buildable soils | Steep slopes, high-plasticity clay, rock requiring blasting | | Entitlement status | Platted, site plan approved | Raw, unplatted | | Absorption | Proven demand nearby, recent deliveries leased | Untested submarket, competing vacant supply | ### Water, wastewater and the CCN In Texas, a water or sewer Certificate of Convenience and Necessity gives a utility the exclusive right to provide retail service in a defined area, according to the [Public Utility Commission of Texas](https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/water/guidance/utilrulesguidance.aspx). Before you price a tract, confirm who holds the CCN, whether they have capacity, what impact fees apply and how far the nearest line is. A tract that needs a mile of line extension and a lift station has a very different value from one with service at the property line. ### Road frontage and access Industrial users care about truck access. Frontage on a state highway generally requires a driveway permit from TxDOT, and spacing rules can limit where a curb cut goes. County roads may have weight limits or need upgrades. ### Floodplain and drainage Net usable acreage is what matters. If 4 of 20 acres sit in the 100-year floodplain, price the 16 usable acres and treat the rest as detention, open space or a cost. ### Zoning, the ETJ and Senate Bill 2038 Inside city limits, zoning controls use. Outside, many tracts sit in a city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), where subdivision rules may still apply. [Senate Bill 2038](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/analysis/html/SB02038S.htm), effective September 1, 2023, created a process for landowners and residents to petition or vote for release from a city's ETJ. Some cities have challenged the law in court, so confirm status for a specific tract with a land use attorney. ### Ag valuation and rollback taxes Many tracts along I-35 carry agricultural (1-d-1 open-space) appraisal, which lowers property taxes. When the use changes, a rollback tax is generally due. According to [Collin Central Appraisal District](https://collincad.org/faqs/what-happens-if-land-receiving-an-agricultural-appraisal-changes-to-a-non-agricultural-use/), rollback now reaches back three years rather than five, and interest applies only if the rollback taxes become delinquent. Negotiate in the contract who pays rollback, and confirm the amount with the appraisal district and a CPA. ## How to value land: two methods ### 1. Sales comparison Find recent closed sales of similar tracts: same submarket, similar size, similar utility status and access. Adjust for differences in usable acreage, frontage, floodplain and timing. Asking prices on listings are not comps. In smaller I-35 towns, good comps can be thin, so widen the time window and adjust carefully. ### 2. Residual land value Residual land value works backward from what a developer can build. Estimate the finished project's value or the maximum all-in cost that meets a target yield on cost, subtract every cost except land, and what is left is what the land can carry. ## Worked example: residual land value for a 10-acre industrial pad These inputs are illustrative assumptions, not market data. Use current rent, cost and yield figures for your submarket. - Site: 10 acres (435,600 SF), served by water and wastewater, no floodplain. - Building: about 30% coverage, so 130,000 SF of shallow-bay industrial. - Rent: $13.00/SF NNN; 5% vacancy and credit loss; $0.30/SF non-recoverable expense. - Costs before land: shell and site work $14,950,000 ($115/SF), soft costs $2,242,500 (15%), financing, carry and leasing $1,100,000. Total: $18,292,500. - Target untrended yield on cost: 7.50%. | Step | Math | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | Gross rent | 130,000 x $13.00 | $1,690,000 | | Less 5% vacancy | $1,690,000 x 0.95 | $1,605,500 | | NOI | $1,605,500 - $39,000 | $1,566,500 | | Max all-in cost at 7.50% | $1,566,500 / 0.075 | $20,886,667 | | Residual land value | $20,886,667 - $18,292,500 | $2,594,167 | | Per acre / per SF | / 10 acres; / 435,600 SF | about $259,400/acre; $5.96/SF | Drop rent to $12.00/SF and NOI falls to $1,443,000. Max cost becomes $19,240,000 and the residual falls to $947,500, about $94,750 per acre. A 1-dollar change in rent moved land value by more than 60%. That leverage is why land sellers and buyers often disagree: small changes in rent, cost or target yield swing what the land is worth. For the yield-on-cost side of this math, see [industrial land development in Texas](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources/industrial-land-development-texas?hsLang=en). ## Due diligence before you price a tract 1. Confirm the water and sewer CCN holder, capacity and impact fees in writing. 2. Order a survey and map floodplain, easements and net usable acres. 3. Confirm jurisdiction (city, ETJ or county) and current zoning or subdivision rules. 4. Check TxDOT or county access requirements for driveways. 5. Get a Phase I environmental report and a geotechnical study. 6. Ask the appraisal district about ag valuation and estimated rollback. 7. Pull closed comps and run a residual land value model. For the submarket backdrop, read our [Austin industrial market update](https://www.roesingercre.com/resources/austin-industrial-market?hsLang=en) and the Texas Triangle guide. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much is an acre of land near Austin? It depends heavily on utilities, access and entitlements. The Texas Real Estate Research Center reported 2025 rural land in the Austin-Waco-Hill Country region at $7,911 per acre, but served, well-located development land along I-35 typically trades far above that benchmark. ### What is residual land value? It is the value left for the land after subtracting all development costs from the value, or the maximum supportable cost, of what can be built on it. It tells a buyer the most they can pay and still hit their target return. ### Do I owe rollback taxes when I buy ag-exempt land in Texas? Rollback taxes are generally triggered by a change in use, not by the sale itself. Under current law the lookback is generally three years, and who pays is negotiable in the contract, so confirm with the appraisal district and a CPA. ### Can I get my land released from a city's ETJ in Texas? Senate Bill 2038, effective September 1, 2023, created a petition and election process for ETJ release. Some cities have challenged the law, so talk to a land use attorney about your specific tract. This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or investment advice. Rural land figures are from the Texas Real Estate Research Center for calendar 2025; the residual land value example uses illustrative assumptions, not current market data. Roesinger LLC is a licensed Texas real estate broker. 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