Land for Sale in Crook County, OR

Crook County sits in central Oregon east of Bend, with 24,738 residents (2020 census, up from 20,978 in 2010) in 2,987 square miles. Prineville is the county seat and the only incorporated city. Most of the rural land is zoned for farm and ranch use, and in Oregon that zoning, called exclusive farm use or EFU, controls what you can build and whether you can divide a parcel. This guide explains how it works before the market.

Crook County at a glance

  • County seat: Prineville, the county's only incorporated city.
  • Census-designated places: Juniper Canyon, Ochoco West and Prineville Lake Acres; Powell Butte is an unincorporated community.
  • 2020 population 24,738, up from 20,978 in 2010; 2,987 square miles.
  • Part of the Ochoco National Forest lies in the county; Prineville Reservoir is its largest body of water.
  • Economy built on forest products, agriculture, livestock and recreation.

The Crook County land market

Buyers look at three kinds of land: small lots and acreage in and around Prineville and the Prineville Lake Acres area, rural acreage around Powell Butte and the Prineville Valley, and larger ranch and grazing tracts toward Post and Paulina. Prices follow irrigation water, access, views and whether the parcel is zoned for a home.

Exclusive farm use (EFU) zoning

Oregon protects farmland through statewide land-use planning, and most rural land in Crook County is in an exclusive farm use zone. The county's Chapter 18.16 sets three EFU zones, EFU-1 (the Post-Paulina area), EFU-2 (the Prineville Valley and Lone Pine areas) and EFU-3 (the Powell Butte area), with different minimum parcel sizes, and the county code says the sizes are meant to reflect different kinds of agriculture. The state default under ORS 215.780 is at least 80 acres for EFU land that is not rangeland and 160 acres for rangeland, and counties can set lower minimums only in limited cases. Check the current code for the numbers that apply to a given zone.

A home on EFU land is not automatic. Oregon allows farm dwellings when farm-income tests are met, and also allows nonfarm dwellings in some cases. A Land Use Board of Appeals opinion explains that the nonfarm dwelling rule for an existing parcel (ORS 215.284(2)) is different from the rule for a newly created parcel (ORS 215.284(3)), and that eastern Oregon counties may approve up to two smaller parcels each with a nonfarm dwelling under conditions, including that the parent parcel was lawfully created before July 1, 2001. The law also bars further division of certain older EFU parcels that already have an approved nonfarm dwelling. These rules change by parcel history and I am reading them from a case opinion, so confirm the current text.

Before you buy a rural parcel, ask Crook County Planning which zone it is in, whether it is a lawfully created parcel, whether a dwelling has already been approved on it or on its parent parcel, and what a new dwelling would require. A land-use attorney is worth consulting before you pay for land you plan to build on.

Water, wells and access

In central Oregon, irrigation water rights are often what makes a pasture valuable, and they are regulated separately from the land by the state. Ask whether a water right comes with the parcel, whether it is in good standing and who delivers the water. Wells vary a lot in depth and yield. Many roads are unpaved, so confirm recorded legal access, especially for parcels that border national forest or other large ownerships.

Before you buy land in Crook County

  • The zone (EFU-1, EFU-2, EFU-3 or another) and whether the parcel is a lawfully created parcel.
  • Whether a dwelling is allowed and what history of land divisions or approvals the parcel has.
  • Irrigation water rights and well information.
  • Recorded legal access and winter road maintenance.
  • Wildfire risk and insurance, and the FEMA flood zone.

How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist

Frequently asked questions

Can I build a house on EFU land in Crook County?

Not automatically. Oregon allows farm dwellings when farm-income tests are met and nonfarm dwellings in limited cases. Ask Crook County Planning about the specific parcel before you buy.

What is the minimum parcel size on farm land in Oregon?

The state default is at least 80 acres for EFU land that is not rangeland and 160 acres for rangeland, with limited exceptions. Crook County sets three EFU zones with their own minimums, so check Chapter 18.16.

What is the county seat of Crook County, Oregon?

Prineville, which is also the county's only incorporated city.

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