Small land sales and price-per-acre in Texas broke records in 2020 thanks to COVID-19, according to a 2021 edition of the Texas Small Land Sales Report that was released on July 16 by Texas Realtors.

Generally, a "small" land parcel is 200 acres or less. The average land sale size in Texas decreased from 2019 to 2020, falling from 32 acres to 30. The West Texas and Gulf Coast-Brazos Bottom regions were the only areas that didn't experience a decrease in average land sale size, according to a statement from Texas Realtors.

"I've never seen this high [a] demand for small land before. The market for land has become as competitive as the market for single-family homes," Economist at Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University Charles Gilliland said in the statement. 

"Last year, land sales activity gained steam in the third and fourth quarter; this momentum has continued into 2021. Although the price per acre increased slightly in 2020, I anticipate stronger price increases ahead in the remainder of 2021."

Despite the average parcel size going down, the number of small land sales has increased all across Texas, with the far west portion of the state seeing the biggest increase at 53%, the statement said.

"After spending a year in lockdown, and with so many Texans working from home, many buyers are seeking more space and are looking for land away from city life," Marvin Jolly, chairman of Texas Realtors said in the release. "These buyers are not only farmers and ranchers. Many are moving from out of state and are purchasing land in Texas due to the attractive opportunities and quality of land available."

Analyzing small land sales trends in data and trends spread out across the seven regions to Texas, The Texas Small Land Sales Report leverages survey data from Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, the statement said.

"As more people choose to move to Texas, land sales activity is likely to continue to be competitive. Texas Realtors is optimistic that the newly created State Broadband Office will enhance the connectivity of rural locations and further increase the appeal and demand for land. We encourage anyone looking to purchase land in Texas to work with a Texas Realtor who specializes in the area and type of real estate that person desires."