How Much Money Is an Acre of Timber Worth?

One of the most common questions we hear from landowners is, “How much is my timber worth?” It’s a fair question — and the answer isn’t always straightforward. The value of timber per acre can change over time, especially when the market shifts due to things like demand, weather events, and even global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, the pandemic was a perfect example of how quickly timber markets can change. For a while, demand for things like tissue products skyrocketed, while construction slowed down. That made it an ideal time to sell timber from younger pine stands. Now that home building is bouncing back, demand for older pine sawtimber is on the rise again.

So, how much is an acre of timber worth right now? Let’s break it down.

What Affects Timber Prices?

Before we talk numbers, it’s important to understand what drives timber prices in the first place.

Timber markets run on simple supply and demand. But there are a lot of factors that influence demand:

• Location: How close your land is to sawmills or paper mills matters.
• Mill types: What types of products are made nearby? Some mills pay more for large logs, others for pulpwood.
• Tree size and quality: Bigger, higher-quality logs fetch higher prices.

The South’s pine timber industry is mostly built around even-aged pine plantations — meaning most of the trees in a stand are roughly the same age. These stands typically go through a few rounds of selective thinning, followed by a final clearcut once the trees mature. The age and size of the trees at harvest time will impact how much money you’ll make per acre.

Here’s a quick guide to log categories:

• Pulpwood: 5”-7” in diameter at breast height (DBH)
• Chip-n-saw (CNS): 8”-11” DBH
• Sawtimber: 12”+ DBH

Timber Value by Harvest Type

Between 2017 and 2019, we looked at timber sales across the US South to see how prices compared by age and harvest type. Here’s what the data shows:

Plantation Pine Stands

Younger pine plantations typically bring lower prices, especially during the first thinning. That’s because smaller trees can only be used for pulpwood or chip-n-saw products, which don’t pay as much.

However, second thinnings (in stands aged 21-25 years) start to include larger logs — meaning better prices. And when it’s time to clearcut at 26+ years, you’ll generally earn the most, because the majority of the trees will qualify as valuable sawtimber.

A few key trends from 2017-2019:

• Thinnings in stands aged 16-25 years brought decent prices, but the difference between age classes wasn’t huge.
• Thinning prices dropped in 2019 — a sign that supply outpaced demand.
• Clearcut values also dipped in 2019 for older timber stands, following the same supply/demand pattern.

Natural Pine Stands

For natural pine stands (not planted by people), it’s harder to pin down age class data. But the price patterns were similar to plantation stands:

• Thinnings on natural stands typically removed more trees per acre, resulting in higher volume and value.
• Clearcut sales of natural stands brought in slightly higher prices because of the added presence of hardwood sawtimber.

Clearcut Price Comparison (2017-2019):

As you can see, prices fluctuated — and in 2019, natural pine clearcuts actually outpaced plantation stands by quite a bit.

So, What’s the Value of Your Timber?

The simple answer is: It depends.

The size, age, and quality of your trees, along with your location and market conditions, all play a role in determining what your timber is worth.

That’s why having current, reliable pricing data — and an experienced forestry consultant — is essential. At Carolina Forestry & Realty, we can help you evaluate your timberland, determine the volume of merchantable wood, and guide you on the best time to sell based on local market conditions.

We keep a close eye on these market trends because we know how much can change from year to year. If you’re curious about what your timber might be worth, or you’re thinking about harvesting in the near future, we’re here to help.

Contact us anytime to learn more about your land’s potential value and how to get the most out of your timber investment.