Large Land Tracts for Sale - 10+ Acre Listings 

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a complete list of 10+ acre land tracts for sale in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill area. You can also use our Advanced Search for Land - just make sure to click "Land" under "Property Details" at the top right, and then put in your price range and how many minimum acres you're looking for.

With the Raleigh-Durham real estate market as competitive as it is, it’s no surprise that demand for land is also steadily increasing. Whether you’re thinking of developing 10+acres into a small neighborhood, or if you’re just looking for the perfect spot to build your dream house or hobby farm, land continues to be a solid investment in our area. 

There are several factors to consider when evaluating a particular piece of property for purchase.  

Zoning

It would be easy to think that if the land is in the middle of nowhere, you can build anything you want, but that’s not the case. Zoning matters because it determines what the possible uses are for the land. Residential or agricultural use? How many structures are you planning? And of course, planning and zoning regulations vary from county to county - and change periodically! 

Where you want to start is the planning department section for each county where you’re searching. For Wake County and Raleigh, that’s Planning, Development, & Inspections (PDI). Starting in the planning department will keep you from purchasing the perfect piece of land only to discover that you can’t build your dream house, barn, or for agricultural purposes.  

Location, location, location

This real estate prime directive is also true in land acquisition. How close is the property to a city boundary? That can make the price higher. However, buying land away from a city does not necessarily guarantee a lower price, as land that’s near timber production, for example, could actually outpace city pricing. 

Look at houses in communities near the property you’re considering, making note of their land use and architectural styles, which may affect the price of your land due to size or other considerations that may limit what you can build. 

Do you have direct access to your land? Are there rights-of-way to consider in getting to the property? Who maintains any roads that lead to the parcel? The easier the access, the better for you, but it may increase the overall price. 

Land near Raleigh, NC is typically worth a little more than Durham, but not quite as much as land near Chapel Hill. Since these cities make up the "Triangle," it's also wise to search in the middle of these cities in areas outside of Morrisville and Cary. West Cary is growing rapidly and this area to the east of Jordan Lake will keep growing over time. 

Topography and terrain

If you’re thinking that a flat parcel of land is easier to build on than one that is not flat, you’re right - and the cost will accelerate accordingly. Anything that makes the property less “hospitable” to building - whether swampy land, rocks, or significant elevation changes - will affect the price. 

Water sources and utilities 

Water on a property can flow from underground sources or via a stream or creek. You may be able to hook up a public utility to provide water to your parcel of land. In more rural areas, plan on digging a well on the property to find a water source and also plan to install septic. This will affect the overall cost of the land. 

It’s back to the planning and development folks in your county to determine if the land you’re considering has access to public utilities and what it will cost to get you connected to them. 

Size and shape

Yes, square and rectangular shapes are more valuable than oddly shaped parcels of land. Some plots of land are considered “normal” which means complete utilization of the land is possible, while other less desirable parcels may have a factor of 10-25% utilization, which would still be economically usable. Where the utilization factor is between 75-90%, the lot would be deemed completely unusable for the intended use. 

Where to look 

In general, the larger parcels of land for sale are going to be outside the city limits of any of our Triangle cities. In Raleigh, the areas north of the city near Creedmoor and Wake Forest have 10+ acres available. South of downtown Raleigh, you can find large parcels of land near Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Holly Springs. East of Raleigh, there are opportunities near Wendell that are still within Wake County. 

There is much interest in both southern and eastern Wake County now, due to the anticipation of the I-540 Outer Loop being completed in the next few years. 

In Durham County, most of the 10+acres land for sale are north of I-85, although not too far north. Other opportunities may be found towards Falls Lake. Orange and Chatham Counties, which are Chapel Hill country, also offer larger acreage properties. For Orange County, those are most likely west of Chapel Hill and towards Carrboro and Pittsboro. In Chatham County, look towards Snow Camp, Siler City, and Sanford.

Of course, the easiest way to find property larger than 10+ acres is to view our listings below and then get in touch. We can talk you through all the considerations in making such a purchase so that you can find the right place for your horse farm, dream house, lifestyle farm, or your next neighborhood development. 

Advanced Land Search 

You can use our Advanced Search to search for land in any city. Just make sure to click "Land" under "Property Details" at the top right of the page, and then tailor the search to your liking. 

Large Land Tracts for sale in the Raleigh / Durham Area

Listings provided courtesy of Triangle MLS, Inc. of NC, Internet Data Exchange Database. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. © 2024 Triangle MLS, Inc. of North Carolina. Data last updated .