Land for Sale in California
California is one of America’s most popular and populated states, so available land for sale is a hot commodity there. Countless options are available depending on the type of property you want.
California lands include farmland for and raising crops or animals; there’s coastal land for spectacular sea views, and then there are residential lots where you can purchase or build a picture-perfect home. While there are many lands to choose from, not all land is created equal, and lands aren’t as versatile as they might seem.
In this article, we’ll explain how you can find land for sale in California using quick and easy online tools and other helpful resources. Not only will we show you how you can find land that suits your wants and needs, but we’ll also cover things you should expect from this land hunt, where you can find the cheapest of most picturesque land and other important topics.
Finding Land for Sale in California
Despite being the third-largest state in America by landmass, it can be a challenge to find available land in California to establish your home or business. Luckily, we know a few ways to make this easier.
First, let’s briefly discuss the types of land available in California. There are ultimately five different types of land you might search for, and they include:
- Farmland: land that typically includes extensive acreage, structures, and utilities (optimal for crops)
- Ranchland: land that typically includes extensive acreage, structure, and utilities (optimal for livestock)
- Acreage: Undeveloped land or large empty plots (optimal for building new structures however you please)
- Commercial: plots located in commercial zoning areas where owners can build structures (optimal for purchasing pre-established structures on land)
- Recreational: zoned land dedicated to sports and recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, etc.
Regardless of the type of land you intend to purchase, finding available ones comes down to using the right resources. Some people prefer to go to auctions or real estate agents to find optimal land, but we recommend using online sources in the form of search tools or buying directly from the owner (most of the time, these individuals will post their property online anyway).
Best Search Tools and What to Expect
Searching online is always a reliable, quick, and easy way to see what’s available around you or in various sections of California that fulfill various criteria you have in mind. The best online search tools for finding land in California include:
On each site, you should expect to use various filters necessary to help you find the property that fits your needs. The results will have all of this information laid out in every listing, in addition to pictures of the property and any structures that might be present. It will also provide details for contacting the individual who posted the property if you’re interested in purchasing the land.
Farmland for Sale in California
Land designated for farming (either crop or animal-related) will have to fill very different criteria than land most people purchase for homes or businesses. Farmland needs to have rich soil with the proper levels of acidity and nutrients, optimal topography, good soil drainage, and other essential elements to ensure crops succeed in the soil or animals can graze here and receive sufficient nutrients long-term.
Of course, there is also the vital point that you can’t just purchase an acre or two of land for farming purposes. You need vast acreage if you’re going to be successful in your farming endeavors. Luckily, one-fourth of California’s landmass is dedicated to agriculture, so countless landowners here have been successful, and you can too.
We suggest using Land Watch, Property Shark, Lands of America, and California Outdoor Properties for these types of searches, as they are more appropriately tailored to farming land versus commercial listings.
You’ll be able to see:
- The listing’s location in terms of county or city
- How much acreage is included
- The listing’s overall cost
- What structures are on the land and their utilities
- Additional features (ex. wells, nearby waterways, irrigation systems, etc.)
- A description of the property and its structures
- How to contact the owners or sellers
In addition to these, many websites will also tell buyers what the land was used for in terms of crops that were grown there, animals that were raised, etc. and will describe the area’s typical climate throughout the year as well as any resources they can find in the nearby area (this is more helpful for hunting and fishing).
While these sites are great for purchasing pre-owned farmland, they’re also exceptional for finding undeveloped acreage if you intend to start from scratch.
Land for Sale by Owner in California
Apart from online, the most efficient way to purchase land in California, especially if you want to skip the auctions and realtors, is to purchase it directly from the owner.
Apart from “For Sale” signs posted on the property, it can be hard to know when land is being sold by the owner rather than a third party. For this reason, we recommend using Land Flip, Land Watch, or Lands of America and search for tabs labeled “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO). This will help you find land throughout California that is sold directly by the owner, and you can then contact them and visit the property.
You should also visit the county engineering office to obtain additional information about the property and contact an attorney and legal inspector to make sure all elements of the land are up-to-code, so you are protected should you decide to purchase it from the owner.
Where is the Cheapest Land in California?
In addition to its exceptional size, both in population and landmass, California is also one of the most expensive states to live in America. This can make it exceptionally difficult for individuals to purchase land regardless of its type. Therefore, it’s important to know where in California land is most affordable.
The cheapest land in California can be purchased in Trinity County, where the average vacant lot size spans 530,863 square feet for an average sale amount of $2,342,287 for all lots. This equals about $1.49 per square foot.
While this might sound like a sweet deal, the plot sizes in Trinity County vary significantly, and the cheapest land is always vacant undeveloped land. This makes things more difficult for individuals who were interested in purchasing commercial plots with pre-established buildings.
Therefore, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in Trinity County, here are six more counties in California where you can find cheap, quality land for low prices.
- Imperial County
- Kern County
- Lassen County
- Modoc County
- San Bernardino County
- Siskiyou County
After using our listed online resources to search in each county, we guarantee you’ll find California land that suits you perfectly and won’t cost celebrity-level prices.
How Much Does An Acre of Land Cost in California?
Knowing where cheap land can be found in California doesn’t mean much if you don’t have a point of comparison for it. The easiest way to compare a county, region, or even state is through their cost per acreage.
Land in California can cost between $5,000-12,000 per acre, with an average of about $7,200 per acre for farmland.
According to the National Department of Agriculture, this renders California as one of the states with the highest farm real estate averages per acre in America. Of course, the biggest factor in cost here is location.
Where the land is located can have a significant effect on its cost per acre. For example, if the land is located near a waterway or has an exceptional view, it might come at a higher cost. Additionally, if the land is located in a highly populated and desirable county or city, such as Beverley Hills or Atherton, this will also be reflected in its overall cost.
Cost per acreage is particularly helpful for individuals who want to purchase large amounts of acreage for farming purposes or build a new home or business. However, if you’re purchasing land for a home, you might want to know the average price per square foot.
In California, this cost ranges from $87.49 to $133.99 per square foot, with an average of $103.17 per square foot. Again, location plays a key role in this cost, in addition to several other factors.
What is the Prettiest City in California?
While we recognize that the answer to this question is purely subjective, there is land in California that countless visitors and residences recognize to be some of the most breathtaking of the entire state and perhaps the whole country.
The prettiest city in California is undoubtedly Los Angeles, thanks to its ability to perfectly blend and accentuate urban beauty with the natural world around it while also boasting some of the most diverse cultures and being home to unbeatable views of people from all over the world will travel to see.
From gloriously sandy beaches to breathtaking architecture to vast cultural diversity and everything in between, you’ll have a hard time not marveling at something new around every Los Angeles corner. Some of the prettiest locations in this city include:
- The Bradbury Building
- Malibu State Park
- “Urban Light” by Chris Burden at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Carlsbad Ranch Flower Fields
- El Matador State Beach
- Descanso Gardens
- The Orpheum Theatre
But the excitement doesn’t just stop at these locations. There are countless natural and urban beauties scattered throughout the city, and some of the best ones are those only know by locals. One of the biggest pitfalls of L.A. is that it’s a major tourist destination, so our advice is if you’re looking for the prettiest places in the city, try to ask an Angeleno where they go for amazing views and solitude from the crowds.
Final Thoughts
Finding available land in California isn’t a search for the faint of heart, but hopefully, this article is shown you how you can do it with ease using online search resources and more. If you’re searching for large amounts of acreage in California, we highly recommend looking in Trinity County, where it is exceptionally cheap.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a beautiful location for your new home or business, Los Angeles might be the place for you if the price isn’t an obstacle. Ultimately, the best way to approach this hunt is to know what you want for the land and where your priorities lie in terms of cost, location, size, and more.