Maries County Market Report

Seventeen parcels on the ground this month, down two from August, and the pace tells you everything you need to know: one new listing, one closing, four under contract, and land sitting a median of 155 days before it moves. That's 17 months of supply sitting out there — this is a buyer's market, plain and simple. If you're selling, price it right the first time, because overpriced ground is just going to keep collecting dust. If you're buying, you've got room to negotiate and no reason to rush into the first thing you see.

The inventory itself is solid, working land — not recreational filler. Every single active listing mentions hunting habitat or wildlife, which tells you this county is still drawing buyers who want deer and turkey ground, not just acreage to look at. Nearly two-thirds have creek, river, or pond access, and 71% carry timber or wooded acreage worth managing or harvesting down the road. Just under half have pasture or hay ground, and 41% come with a barn, shop, or other outbuildings — so there's real utility mixed in with the recreational appeal. With archery season and firearms deer season coming up, expect some of these hunting tracts to get more serious looks, even if closings stay slow through fall.

Price and geography vary a lot by area, so know your market before you make an offer. Vienna is carrying the big farms — six active, all Farm-type, median ask pushing $1.28 million on a median 304 acres — that's your large-scale operation or investment-grade ground. Vichy is the entry point, with smaller parcels averaging 46 acres and a median ask of $226,550, better suited for a starter hunting camp or small homestead. Dixon sits in the middle at $525,000 median on nearly 98 acres, and Belle's two farm listings are asking a premium at $848,000 median for 72 acres. Across the board, the median sold price of $460,000 against a $525,000 asking median confirms sellers are coming down to meet the market — budget accordingly and don't be afraid to make a reasonable offer and let it sit.

Maries County's residential market stayed firmly in seller's territory this September, and the numbers tell a clear story of a tight, active market. With only 18 homes active and 12 already under contract, buyers are working with a genuinely limited pool of options — and they're responding quickly when the right property hits the market. That urgency shows up in the list-to-sale ratio of 100.3%, meaning homes are, on average, selling for slightly more than asking. Sellers who price realistically are finding willing buyers without needing to negotiate down.

The median sold price dropped to $222,600, a notable 23% pullback from August, but this is best read as a shift in what kind of homes sold rather than a decline in overall value. With just 7 closings this month, a handful of more modestly priced properties can swing the median significantly — especially in a county this size. The gap between the $266,750 median list price and the lower sold price also suggests more entry-level activity this month compared to last. Meanwhile, average days on market jumped to 88.3, nearly double the typical pace, which reflects a mix of fast-moving and slower-moving listings rather than a broad slowdown — St. James, for example, is moving homes in just over two weeks, while Belle is averaging well over three months.

Local conditions varied considerably by city. St. James stood out as the hottest pocket in the county, with homes selling in roughly 16 days and a median list price of $425,000 — a strong signal for sellers in that area to price with confidence. Vienna also showed solid seller strength with a similarly high median list price near $414,000, though homes there are taking longer to move. Belle, by contrast, looked more balanced, with higher inventory and slower sales, giving buyers a bit more breathing room and negotiating power. For anyone buying or selling in Maries County this fall, location within the county matters just as much as the overall market trend — what's true in St. James isn't necessarily true in Belle.