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Ramsey County staff reports small drop in 2026 agricultural land values; NDSU economist to meet Thursday
Summary
County staff said state-assessed agricultural land value per acre for Ramsey County fell from $705.20 (2025) to $686.40 (2026), about a 3–4% decrease; NDSU economist Ronald Haugen will meet with commissioners Thursday at 9:45 a.m. to explain the valuation changes.
County staff told the Ramsey County Commission that the statewide update to agricultural land valuations produced a modest drop for Ramsey County, and commissioners were urged to prepare for earlier notice timelines this year.
Beth, speaking for county staff, said the 2025 ag-land assessment per acre for Ramsey County was $705.20 and that the 2026 value is $686.40, which she described as roughly a 3–4% decrease. She attributed the decline to components of the state valuation formula, including an increase in the capitalization rate (which she said rose to about 4.74%) and changes in the cost-of-production index used in the calculation.
Beth said she contacted Ronald Haugen of the NDSU Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, who compiles the data for the state, and that Haugen will set aside time Thursday at approximately 9:45 a.m. for a meeting in the Ramsey County Courthouse to answer commissioners' questions about the valuation process and the formula components.
Because recent legislative changes have altered how valuation notices must be mailed to owners — requiring counties to send notices comparing 2025 to 2026 values to every parcel — Beth told the commission they will likely need to indicate direction by the first February meeting so GIS and property-data contractors can reflect any local adjustments on mailed notices.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; Beth asked for questions and said staff would return with recommended options at the next meeting.
