Land for Sale in Decatur County, IA
Decatur County is a small southern Iowa county on the Missouri line, 533 square miles with 7,645 residents (2020 census), about 14 per square mile, along Interstate 35. Land is farm, pasture and timber. In Iowa, soil quality is expressed as a CSR2 rating, and the assessed value is set by a productivity formula, so understanding both is the key to pricing a parcel.
Decatur County at a glance
- County seat: Leon. Lamoni is the largest city (1,969 residents in 2020); other cities include Davis City, Garden Grove, Decatur City and Grand River.
- 2020 population 7,645; about 533 square miles; about 14 people per square mile.
- Highways: Interstate 35, US 69 and Iowa 2; the county borders Missouri on its south.
- Iowa assesses farmland by a productivity formula, then limits annual growth in taxable value to 3% in aggregate through a rollback.
- Soil quality is rated on the CSR2 scale.
The Decatur County land market
Southern Iowa land tends to include more pasture, timber and rolling ground. Buyers include farmers, cattle producers and hunters. Parcels range from 40 to several hundred acres, and value tracks CSR2, tillable acres, fencing, ponds and timber. Land near Leon, Lamoni and I-35 costs more.
CSR2 and the Iowa productivity formula
Iowa's Corn Suitability Rating (CSR2) scores soils from the lowest to the highest productivity, and farmland prices are often quoted per CSR2 point. The assessed value comes from the Iowa Agricultural Productivity Formula, which uses a five-year rolling average of crop revenue and costs from USDA data. The county total value is divided by the county's total CSR2 points to get a dollar value per point, and that price per point is applied to every agricultural parcel in the county. A separate rollback limits growth in taxable value of residential and agricultural property to 3% a year in aggregate, and an "ag tie" can reduce it further.
For a buyer, that means two parcels with the same CSR2 and acres have the same assessed value, and the taxable value depends on the rollback. Ask the Decatur County Assessor for the parcel's CSR2, assessed value and taxable value, and check the property tax history.
Drainage, CRP and leases
Check tile drainage, waterways and any Conservation Reserve Program contract, which carries payments and restrictions that may or may not transfer. Ask about cash rent or crop-share leases, because a tenant may have rights for the current season. Minerals and wind easements may be separated, so ask what conveys.
Before you buy land in Decatur County
- CSR2, tillable acres and the productivity-based assessment.
- CRP contracts, leases and tenant rights.
- Tile drainage, waterways and erosion control.
- Recorded legal access and fences.
- Wind, mineral and pipeline easements.
Land due diligence checklistHow to verify legal access to land
Frequently asked questions
What is CSR2 in Iowa?
The Corn Suitability Rating is a score for soil productivity, and farmland prices are often compared per CSR2 point.
How does Iowa assess agricultural land?
By a productivity formula using a five-year rolling average of crop revenue and costs, turned into a dollar value per CSR2 point applied across the county, with a rollback that limits growth.
Where is Decatur County, Iowa?
On the Missouri line in south-central Iowa, along Interstate 35, with Leon as the county seat.