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Anderson County TX Land & Ranches for Sale
About Anderson County
Anderson County is in East Texas, between the Trinity and Neches rivers. It falls within the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center's Northeast Texas land-market region, and Palestine is the county seat. The country here is a mix of pine and hardwood timber, open pasture, creek bottoms and post oak savannah. It suits buyers who want working cattle pasture, timber, a recreational or hunting tract, or a homesite out in the country, with Dallas and Houston both within a few hours' drive. If you're looking at land for sale in Anderson County TX, LBG's Land & Ranch division can help you size up the soils, water, access and timber before you walk the first fence line.
Legacy Broker Group listings in Anderson County
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The multiple listing information is provided by LERA MLS. Copyright ©2026 LERA MLS. All Rights Reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed accurate. This information should be independently verified if any person intends to engage in a transaction in reliance upon it. The information provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Based on information from Unlock MLS (alternatively, from ACTRIS) for the period through 10/15/2026. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. All data is provided “AS IS” and with all faults. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
Information being provided is for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Some IDX listings have been excluded from this website.
Data last updated: 10/15/2026 13:32
The information being provided by Central Texas MLS is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use, that it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and that the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Central Texas MLS.
Based on information from South Texas MLS, LLC as of 2026-10-15 13:32:22. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. South Texas MLS, LLC provides the MLS and all content therein “AS IS” and without any warranty, express or implied. MLS aggregate data is a copyright of Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) and that the reader may not reproduce or distribute the MLS aggregate data.
© 2026 Bryan-College Station Regional Multiple Listing Service. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS or Legacy Broker Group. Data last updated 09/23/2023 16:30.
The data is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS or NTREIS. Consumers may not reproduce or redistribute NTREIS data since the use of this data is only for people viewing this web site.
Information contained on the computer print-outs of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of the HOUSTON REALTORS® INFORMATION SERVICE (HRIS) is furnished by MLS Participants for dissemination to other MLS Participants, for their exclusive use, and should not be relied upon by Buyer/Tenant or any other person. There is no express or implied warranty by HAR or MLS as to the accuracy of such information, which should be independently verified by Buyer/Tenant or such other person. MLS does not verify the information and disclaims any responsibility for its accuracy.
Anderson County on the map
Each marker is a Legacy Broker Group listing in Anderson County — click for details; a sold one links to Significant Transactions.
Living in Anderson County
- Anderson County, Texas — The county's official site, based at the courthouse in Palestine. Find commissioners court agendas, elections, burn bans and emergency management.
- Palestine ISD — The Palestine school district's official site, with campus pages, news, Bond 2025 updates and links for parents.
- Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce — The chamber for all of Anderson County. It runs the Dogwood Art & Music Festival and the Hot Pepper Festival.
- Texas State Railroad — Texas's official railroad. Steam and diesel trips run 25 miles through the Piney Woods between the Palestine and Rusk depots.
- Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area (TPWD) — About 11,000 acres of post oak savannah northwest of Palestine, with public hunting, camping and land-management demonstrations.
The vibe
This is wooded, rolling country. The ground is hilly and slopes down toward the two rivers, with elevations from about 198 to 624 feet. Red oak, post oak, white oak, pecan, walnut, hickory, elm, ash and pine all grow well here. Almost half the county sits on deep, sandy, loamy soils. Out west, roughly 66,000 acres of claypan ground are used mostly for pasture. In the northwest corner, the state's Gus Engeling research area holds a stretch of native post oak savannah, ringed by coastal bermuda pastures and cut-over timberland. That ring is a fair picture of the working landscape across much of the county. The county averages about 41.7 inches of rain a year, roughly double the Texas average, which goes a long way toward explaining the green pastures and steady timber growth. That's why buyers looking for timber land for sale in Anderson County TX keep coming back to this part of the state.
Palestine has been the anchor since 1846, when the Legislature incorporated it as the seat of the new county. The railroad arrived in 1873 and set off a building boom you can still see downtown. The city has 23 sites on the National Register of Historic Places and a 44-block Main Street District. Each spring the Dogwood Trails Celebration fills the 254-acre Davey Dogwood Park with white blooms, a tradition that started over a cup of coffee in 1938. In 2023 Palestine was named the official Dogwood Trails Capital of Texas. Outside Palestine, the county is a string of small communities, including Elkhart, Frankston, Tennessee Colony, Neches, Cayuga and Montalba.
The pace is rural and the economy is practical. Land use has long centered on beef cattle and pine timber, along with hay. Oil came in at Boggy Creek east of Palestine in 1928, and several more fields followed. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is one of the largest employers in the county. Palestine also hosts a large poultry operation, Walmart distribution centers, and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, which does atmospheric research for NASA. The 2020 census counted 57,922 people across a little over a thousand square miles, so most of the county is still open land.
Market snapshot
As of October 2026, the latest regional benchmark is the Texas Real Estate Research Center's Second Quarter 2026 rural land report, published August 20, 2026. It put the Northeast Texas region at a median of $8,604 per acre, down 5.96 percent from a year earlier, with a typical tract of 119 acres. The statewide median was $5,218 per acre. In its first-quarter report, the Center said regional prices were held up by tracts of 34 to 53 acres, while price per acre on larger tracts fell year over year. Its winter 2026 report noted that Northeast Texas sales volume had dropped to its lowest level since 2013. In other words, prices have held up better than activity has, buyers are taking their time, and pricing a tract correctly matters more than it did a few years ago.
County listing data, pulled in October 2026, gives a closer look at asking prices, which are not closed sales. Land.com showed a median asking price of $10,900 per acre and a median tract size of 39.1 acres, across about 10,755 listed acres. LandSearch counted 324 properties averaging $13,761 per acre. Those asking prices run above the regional sale median. Most of that gap comes from smaller tracts, paved frontage and homesites, but some of it is seller optimism. When you look at acreage for sale in Anderson County TX, or ranches for sale in Anderson County TX, have your agent pull recent closed comparables for the same size range. We couldn't find a reliable published figure for days on market for land, or for home prices or price per square foot, in this county. We'll add those numbers when a dependable source reports them.
Selling in Anderson County?
Thinking of selling land or a ranch in Anderson County? A Legacy Broker Group Broker Price Opinion is free, and it starts with the market you are actually in.
Amenities
Public schools in the county include Palestine ISD, Westwood ISD and Elkhart ISD, among others. Trinity Valley Community College has a Palestine campus on Highway 19. For outdoor time, Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area covers nearly 11,000 acres, 21 miles northwest of Palestine on US 287. It allows public hunting and has a campground and a fishing pier on Catfish Creek. In 2025, Texas Parks and Wildlife bought about 6,900 more acres in the county to create the new Trinity River Wildlife Management Area. Lake Palestine, a 25,500-acre reservoir on the Neches River, supplies Palestine's water. Both rivers and their many creeks give the county plenty of bottomland and frontage. The Texas State Railroad runs vintage steam and diesel excursions on a 25-mile line from the Palestine depot, just east of town on US 84, through the Piney Woods to Rusk. The round trip takes about four hours.
For dining and shopping, most people head to downtown Palestine's Main Street District and the retail along the main highways. US highways 287, 79 and 84 are the main routes through the county. Palestine is about 108 miles southeast of Dallas and 153 miles north of Houston, and the Gus Engeling area is about 85 miles from Dallas. That puts much of the county within weekend reach of both metros.
Anderson County FAQs
Where is Anderson County, Texas?
Anderson County is in East Texas between the Trinity and Neches rivers, and Palestine is the county seat. For rural land data, it falls in the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center's Northeast Texas region.
How far is Anderson County from Dallas and Houston?
Palestine, the county seat, is about 108 miles southeast of Dallas and 153 miles north of Houston. US highways 287, 79 and 84 are the main routes in and out.
What kind of property can I buy in Anderson County TX if I want land?
When you buy land in Anderson County TX, you'll mostly see improved pasture, pine and hardwood timber, creek and river bottoms, and rolling post oak savannah. Soils are often deep, sandy loams, and the western claypan country is mostly in pasture.
Is there Anderson County TX hunting land for sale, and where can I see good habitat?
Hunting tracts do come up across the county, especially wooded acreage along creeks and the river bottoms. To see well-managed East Texas habitat up close, visit Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area northwest of Palestine. Texas Parks and Wildlife uses it to demonstrate practices like prescribed burning and native grass restoration.
Are there farms for sale in Anderson County TX?
Yes. Farming and ranching have deep roots here, and cattle, hay, timber and pecans have long been major products. In 2002 the county had 1,735 farms and ranches covering more than 365,000 acres.
Can rural land in Anderson County qualify for a wildlife or agricultural tax valuation?
Many tracts here are run for cattle, hay, timber or wildlife, and the management practices at Gus Engeling are designed to meet the standards for Texas wildlife management valuation. Whether a particular tract qualifies is up to the Anderson County Appraisal District, so check with them before you buy.
What rivers and lakes are in or near Anderson County?
The Trinity River runs along the county's western side and the Neches River along its eastern side, with many creeks draining into both. Lake Palestine, a large reservoir on the Neches, supplies the city of Palestine's water.
What is there to do in Anderson County, Texas?
The Texas State Railroad runs steam and diesel excursions from Palestine to Rusk, and every spring the Dogwood Trails Celebration takes over Davey Dogwood Park. Gus Engeling and the newer Trinity River Wildlife Management Area offer hunting, wildlife watching and fishing.
Who are the major employers in Anderson County?
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is one of the county's largest employers. Palestine also has a major poultry processor, Walmart distribution centers, a regional medical center, and NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
How do I sell my ranch in Anderson County TX?
Start with a broker who knows East Texas timber, pasture and hunting ground and can price your place against recent closed sales in your size range. LBG's Land & Ranch division can walk the property with you, put together the soils, water and access information buyers ask for, and market it to qualified rural buyers.
Should I use a land broker in Anderson County TX to list my land?
A land specialist helps you price correctly in a market where activity has slowed even though values have mostly held. If you're ready to list your land in Anderson County TX, our Land & Ranch team, which works out of LBG's Boerne office, can talk through timing and strategy with you.
Market and community sections reviewed 2026-10-30.