The best starting point is what similar land nearby has sold for. Match the size, location, road access and what was included in the sale. A county average or the number on a tax bill won’t tell you the whole story about your land.
Start With Your Land, Not an Average
Write down where it is, about how many acres you own and how people reach it. Add what you know about the land: open fields, woods, a creek, a house or other buildings. A tax bill and a map are enough to start a useful conversation.
Think about the buyer who might want it. A small lot near homes may appeal to a different buyer than a working field or a larger wooded tract. The fact that both are in Simpson County doesn’t make them a good price match.
If you don’t know a detail, leave it open. You don’t need to settle every question before asking an agent for a price opinion or talking with a direct buyer.
Why a Farm Tax Value May Look Low
If you own farmland, the number on your tax record can be confusing. The Kentucky Department of Revenue explains that farmland can be assessed at its agricultural value rather than its fair cash value. That’s a value used for taxes, not an offer to buy the farm.
The Simpson County property valuation office says property is assessed as of January 1. A tax record has a date and a purpose. It isn’t a fresh buyer’s opinion of what your land is worth today.
Ask the office, “Which value am I looking at, and what land and buildings does it cover?” Then use similar completed sales to discuss a selling price. Don’t raise or lower your asking price just because one tax figure looks surprising.
Find the Right Land Record in Simpson County
Use your parcel number—the county’s ID for the land—when you have it. Add an owner’s name, a nearby road and any old deed details. This helps keep the price discussion about the right property.
- Property details or tax value: start with the county’s property valuation page. Ask what information is available for your land.
- A deed or recorded document: the Simpson County Clerk’s records page directs land-record searches to eCCLIX. The Clerk’s phone is 270-586-8161.
- Before paying for online access: eCCLIX lists paid options and public accounts for some counties. Ask the Clerk about access and copy choices for your document. This guide doesn’t require you to buy a subscription.
A deed is the paper that records a transfer of ownership. If you’re missing one, ask how to find a copy. If you’re handling inherited land, a title company or attorney can help with ownership and signing questions at your pace.
Which Sales Are Good Matches?
Ask a land agent for recent completed sales near your property. Start close by, then widen the search if there aren’t enough useful matches. Ask why each sale belongs in the comparison.
- Similar size: a two-acre lot and a 60-acre field may have very different prices per acre.
- Similar surroundings: look at the actual area, not just a mailing address that says Franklin.
- Similar access: land with a clear road entrance can be a poor match for land reached only across a neighbor’s property.
- Similar land: open crop ground, pasture and woods may interest different buyers.
- Similar contents: check whether the price included a house, barn, more than one parcel or other items.
Keep a sale with a house out of your empty-land price average unless someone can explain how they separated the building’s value. If the same property appears on two websites, it’s still one sale.
An asking price shows what the seller hopes to get. It can help you see what’s for sale, but it doesn’t prove that a buyer paid that amount.
A Simple Way to Compare the Numbers
For each useful sale, make a short note:
- The location, parcel number or deed reference.
- The sale date and where the completed price came from.
- The acres included in that price.
- Any house, other building or extra parcel included.
- What makes it like your land—and what makes it different.
Here’s a made-up example. A 10-acre tract sells for $100,000. That works out to $10,000 per acre. A 20-acre tract sells for $140,000, or $7,000 per acre. You can’t just pick the higher rate for your land. First ask why the buyers paid different amounts.
If the $100,000 price covered two five-acre parcels together, use all 10 acres in the calculation. Dividing that whole price by only one five-acre parcel would give a misleading $20,000 per acre.
Those figures show the math, not current Simpson County prices. There isn’t a verified county-wide price estimate on this page. The older March listing tables have been removed because separate sales and what they included weren’t confirmed.
Get a Price Opinion You Can Understand
Send an agent your map and a few plain details. You might say:
“I own about 15 acres near this road in Simpson County. It’s mostly open land with some trees. What similar properties have sold nearby? What would you suggest asking, and why?”
Ask them to show the sales behind the answer. A useful price opinion explains the matches and the differences. If there are few good sales, ask how that affects the estimate.
You can also hire an appraiser for a more formal opinion. Ask about the cost and the type of land they’ve worked with. If you’re comparing a direct offer, it’s reasonable to ask what details shaped the price.
Compare the Price With the Money You’d Keep
You can list with a land agent, find a buyer yourself or compare a direct offer. Each choice asks for a different amount of time and work.
Ask what selling costs you’d pay. Then check any loan balance, unpaid taxes and terms that could change the sale. A $75,000 offer with $5,000 in costs leaves $70,000 before debts. A $72,000 offer with $2,000 in costs leaves the same amount. This is a fictional example, not a fee estimate.
Use our offer comparison worksheet to keep the price, costs and terms side by side. Don’t compare only the number at the top of an offer.
If you want a direct offer from Reelvest to compare, tell us about your land. For the full selling process, read our Simpson County seller guide or Kentucky land seller guide.
Questions About Simpson County Land Value
How much is an acre worth in Simpson County?
There isn’t one rate that fits every acre. Compare recent sales of similar land near yours. Check size, access, what was included and the sale date before using a price per acre.
Should I use my farmland tax value as the selling price?
No. Kentucky allows farmland to be assessed at its agricultural value for taxes. Ask which value your record shows, then compare similar completed sales to discuss a selling price.
Can the County Clerk tell me what to ask for my land?
The Clerk’s records can help you find a deed or confirm a recorded transfer. That is different from a price opinion. A land agent or appraiser can help compare sales and explain a suggested price.
What if the nearest sale included a house?
It may be a poor match for empty land. Ask what the sale included and whether there’s a sound way to separate the building’s value. If that isn’t clear, use a better match.
Will a direct buyer pay the same as a listed buyer?
Offers can differ. Compare the written price, costs, checks and timeline. You decide whether a direct offer fits your needs or whether you’d rather market the land to other buyers.
Local source links reviewed October 5, 2026.