We hear about them all the time. Acres. But do you really know what an acre is? How it’s measured? Well, we have all the information you need to answer the question, “What is an acre?”
An acre is a unit of land used in the United States customary systems. It helps measure how much property a person may own or how much land is available to purchase. Generally, the best way to measure the land is not by acreage first. To determine the size you will measure the longest part of the property, then the width, and multiply the measurements of width by length of the land. The size of the property is determined by square footage, square yards, or meters, whichever you prefer. Once you receive the measurements in yards, meters, or feet you can convert the measurements into acreage.
History
The word acre was derived from the Old English word aecer and it defines a strip of land that could be plowed within one day by using a plow and an ox. The measurement of the land came about with the use of chains or poles. Old surveys that were used with chains equaled 100 links for one acre. Each chain reached 66 feet long. Poles were also used to measure as each pole equaled 16.5 feet long. One acre of land would equal 10 square chains or 160 poles.
Hectares was a form of measurement used for land through the metric system in Europe. It equals 10,000 square meters. The U.S. never fully adopted the metric system which is why the U.S. uses square footage, yards, and acres.
Measurements
One acre equals 4,840 square yards or 43,560 square feet. The most common shape of an acre typically will fit into 660 feet by 60 feet. If there are hilly areas then the measurement will be taken as though the hills are non existent.
Facts
The state of California tends to have the most valuable property while New Jersey offers the most valuable real estate at $196,400 per acre, 16 times the average value per acre in the United States. Rural and developed areas make up 6.1 percent of all of the land in the United States. Developed areas alone use up three percent while 75 percent of the population choose to live among it.
Acres of land in rural areas have a lower land value in accordance to its size. Land in agricultural and undeveloped areas tend to cost less, and the same is true for those in cities and suburbs. Occupied land is generally estimated at about $106,000 per acre while land that is undeveloped is worth about $6500 per acre. Farmland can be sold as low as $2,000 per acre. The price of an acre depends on what it will be used for, where it’s located, and how many you’re buying at one time. These numbers are average estimates for the entire country.
When considering to purchase acres of land, first decide where you prefer to have land and take into consideration what is around. The closer the property is around other homes and businesses, the more the land will cost, but it might be worth it depending on your needs and wishes.
