Texas Land Prices
Texas land prices probably are more varied than land prices in any other state in the nation. Real estate prices in downtown Houston or Dallas can run as high as several million dollars per acre, while land prices in Far West Texas can be as low as a few hundred dollars per acre.
Land speculation actually created the Republic of Texas, and thereafter, the State of Texas. It was American settlers who began moving into the region after Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. These settlers came in search of cheap land. Thereafter, the American settlers revolted against Mexican rule, and after the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, they established the Republic of Texas. In 1845, under President James Polk’s administration, Texas was admitted into the union as the 28th state. The admission of Texas as a state was one of the major causes of the Mexican War (1846-48).
Cheap Texas land prices and good weather have created a rapid expansion in population. In 1950 the population was only 7.7 million, and today it is over 25 million. Furthermore, the state contains three of the 10 largest cities in the United States: Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.
In many ways, Texas is an anomaly! The state has the second largest population in the nation and contains three of the largest cities in the nation. Yet the state also contains some of the lowest-priced land to be found in the nation! Knowledgeable investors who understand Texas land prices can do very well indeed.