Who Owns the Most Land in Texas? (2024)

Texas is a big state. Vast. From the rolling hillsaround Austin, TX to the tumble weed-filled towns out west, Texas is sprawling. Surprisingly,Texas land is nearly95%privately owned, with some of the largest properties for cattle ranching in the country.

Fun tidbit, by contrast, Nevada is 80% owned by the government.

So here's a fun question you may already know: Who owns the most farmland in The United States? That'd be Bill Gates. The Microsoft co-founder owns the most farmland in the United States, reportedly around 270,000 acres.

270,000 acres is a lot, but did you know that to Ted Turner, that's a tiny lot on the corner of the street?Turner is the second largest individual landowner in North America, with approximately two million acres of personal and ranch land ineight U.S. statesand Argentina. Butthe largest landowners in the United States arethe Emmerson family, with 2,330,000 acres of land.

Well, back to the Lone Star State. Let's dive into it, according to Farm Land Riches here are theTop 10 Largest Landowners In The State Of Texas:

Who Are The Top 10 Largest Landowners in The State Of Texas?

From the rolling hillsaround Austin, TX to the tumble weed filled towns out west, Texas is sprawling. Surprisingly,Texas land is nearly95%privately owned, with some of the largest properties for cattle ranching in the country.

Editor's note: this article was updated on February 13, 2023.

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Who Owns the Most Land in Texas? (2024)

FAQs

Who Owns the Most Land in Texas? ›

1. Jay Kleberg and The King Heirs. King Ranch, spans an astounding 900,000 acres across a vast expanse of South Texas.

Who owns biggest ranch in Texas? ›

Waggoner Ranch
W. T. Waggoner Estate
CountryUnited States of America
Construction started1849
OwnerStan Kroenke
Grounds510,527 acres
2 more rows

What is the largest private property in Texas? ›

1. The King Ranch. The King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world and covers over 825,000 acres of land. The ranch has been in the same family for over 150 years.

What is the largest property in Texas? ›

King Ranch, largest ranch in the United States, composed of a group of four tracts of land in southeastern Texas, totaling approximately 825,000 acres (333,800 hectares). The King Ranch was established by Richard King, a steamboat captain born in 1825 in Orange county, New York.

Who owns most land in USA? ›

The 2022 Land Report 100, compiled each year by The Land Report magazine, released its annual list of landowners who own the most acres in the United States. The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres.

What is the biggest family owned ranch? ›

1. Waggoner Ranch: The Waggoner Ranch is located in North Texas and is on 535,000 acres. It was built in 1849 and originally was owned by Dan Waggoner.

How big is the 6666 Ranch in Texas? ›

Being one of the largest ranches in Texas, the 6666's Ranch comprises 142,372 acres, more or less. To put this massive ranch in perspective, the ranch encompasses almost 225 square miles of land. The ranch generally measures approximately 20 miles long from north to south and around 12 miles wide from east to west.

What is the Dominate Estate in Texas? ›

Dominance of Mineral Estate

Regardless of whether the mineral estate and surface estate are held by one owner or have been severed, Texas law holds that the mineral estate is dominant.

What city in Texas has the most land? ›

List of the biggest cities in Texas by area. Houston is the biggest city in Texas with a total area of 599.59 square miles (1,552.93 km2).

What is the most expensive suburb in Texas? ›

An online lender, CashNet USA, collected new data from Zillow confirming that Highland Park is the most expensive place to live in the Lone Star State. The city, which lies about four miles north of Downtown Dallas in central Dallas County, has an average home cost of just above $7.3 million.

Who is the richest rancher in America? ›

Largest private land owners in the United States in 2021
NameAcres
1Emmerson family2,330,000 2,330,000
2John Malone2,200,000 2,200,000
3Reed family2,100,000 2,100,000
4Ted Turner2,000,000 2,000,000
10 more rows
Aug 16, 2022

Who owns the most land on earth? ›

The Biggest Landowners in the World
RankNameLocations
1King Charles III and the British Royal FamilyUnited Kingdom, Canada
2Catholic ChurchWorldwide
3Inuit People of NunavutCanada
4Gina RinehartAustralia, United States
21 more rows

Who is the biggest farmer in the US? ›

Bill Gates

Who owns the largest home in Texas? ›

The home at 1280 N. Preston Rd. in Prosper was last listed on Zillow in 2019 for $14,500,000.00.

What city in Texas has the biggest houses? ›

Fort Worth takes the prize for the biggest homes in Texas.

What percentage of Texas is owned? ›

Texas is a private lands state (over 93% of Texas is privately owned), and private land stewardship is crucial to maintaining the diverse array of habitats needed to support the unique and varied wildlife that we enjoy in our state.

What is the oldest ranch in Texas? ›

With that in mind, the oldest surviving ranch in Texas is possibly Rancho de la Purisima Conceptión, founded in 1716.

What was the largest ranch in Texas just sold? ›

One of the largest ranches in the United States, W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch Sold after being offered for $725M | Chas S. Middleton.

Who owns 6666 Ranch? ›

How many ranches does Taylor Sheridan own? In addition to the famous 6666 Ranch, Taylor Sheridan owns Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. The equine ranch hosts competitions and is expanding its operations with TV and film shoots, concerts and festivals, dining, and special events.

Who owns Yellowstone ranch? ›

Inhabitants. Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States located in the Paradise Valley in Park County, Montana, east of Bozeman and west of Livingston. The ranch is owned by John Dutton.

How many acres is Dutton ranch? ›

Dutton Ranch isn't one place (although there is a home office on Graton Road where the Shop Block vineyard is), but a collection of over 60 non-contiguous parcels in Russian River Valley that comprise approximately 1,300 acres of land that they either own, lease or manage.

What is the largest ranch in the world? ›

The largest ranch in the world is Anna Creek Station, a cattle ranch operating in Australia. This ranch measures 2,000,000 acres or 3,100 square miles, larger than Israel and the state of New Hampshire. The ranch is located in a very remote part of the country called South Australia.

What is the hottest real estate market in Texas? ›

Some call Austin the “Silicon Valley of the South” in response to its booming tech activity. Austin's economic prosperity, even in light of the pandemic, and wealth of diverse talent make it a red-hot frontrunner for real estate investors in 2021.

Who inherits a house in Texas? ›

The deceased person's spouse and children are typically first in line to inherit the home. These relatives automatically become the new owners upon the homeowners' death. If you have inherited your home via intestacy, it's best to file an affidavit of heirship in the county deed records where the property is located.

Who inherits in Texas? ›

In intestate succession, spouses inherit first, then children, then parents and siblings. Stepchildren do not automatically receive a share of the estate unless the decedent legally adopted them. Grandchildren only inherit when the decedent's children are not alive to receive their share of an inheritance.

What is Texas fastest-growing city? ›

Georgetown, Texas, remained the fastest-growing city by percent change in 2022, with the highest rate of growth among all U.S. cities and towns with at least 50,000 people.

What is the #1 wealthiest city in Texas? ›

Fair Oaks Ranch

With a population of around 9,900 according to the recent census report, this city has become an attractive destination for those seeking luxury living. Known as the wealthiest place in Texas, Fair Oaks Ranch offers its residents fine dining options, top-ranking public schools, and high incomes.

Where do most millionaires live in Texas? ›

Austin is the fastest-growing city for millionaires, according to the 2023 Wealth Report by Henley & Partners. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of millionaires calling Austin home more than doubled to 30,500. A 'millionaire growth rate' of 102% puts Austin at the top of the list.

What is the richest street in Texas? ›

Lazy Lane Boulevard was the only street in Texas to crack Zillow's top 15 most expensive streets list. The priciest street nationally was Indian Creek Island Road in Miami with a median home value of $21.5 million, according to the Seattle-based online real estate company.

Where do upper class live in Texas? ›

Highland Park

The richest city in Texas is Highland Park. An upscale area located in central Dallas, this beautiful neighborhood possesses both a small-town atmosphere and big-city amenities.

What is the highest salary for a rancher? ›

Farm rancher salaries typically range between $13,000 and $74,000 a year.

What is the largest private property in the US? ›

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

Who is the richest farmer ever? ›

Qin is the richest farmer in the world and owns 883 million shares of Muyuan stock, 40.06% of the company.

What is the biggest land ever bought? ›

The Louisiana Purchase has been described as the greatest real estate deal in history. In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory--828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River.

Is there any land on Earth not owned by anyone? ›

The largest unclaimed territory on Earth is in Antarctica. Marie Byrd Land, a 620,000-square-mile collection of glaciers and rock formations, lies in the western portion of the southernmost continent. Because of its remoteness, no nation has ever claimed it.

Does McDonald's own more land than the Catholic Church? ›

After gaining permission from the Vatican, Burhans underwent a comprehensive of bringing the Church into the 21st century. A live database provides a visual of all its land holdings. Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

What state has the most farming? ›

Texas had the most farms in the United States in 2021 followed by Missouri and Iowa.

Where is the best farmland in the US? ›

The best states for farmland include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Consider factors like profitability, cost of operation, infrastructure, and availability when selecting a location.

Which state has richest farmers? ›

Uttar Pradesh is India's top farming state, with considerable state-level crop production including bajra, rice, sugarcane, food grains, and many others.

Who has the biggest cattle ranch in Texas? ›

Today, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. As the home of 35,000 cattle and over 200 Quarter Horses, King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world today.

Who owns the largest private ranch? ›

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

Who owned a 600 000-acre South Texas ranch? ›

Briscoe Ranch

The second largest ranch in Texas, the 600,000+ acres Briscoe Family ranch was once home to the largest individual landowner in Texas, Gov. Dolph Briscoe, Jr., known to close relatives as “Big Daddy”.

Who is the richest rancher in Texas? ›

1. Jay Kleberg and The King Heirs. King Ranch, spans an astounding 900,000 acres across a vast expanse of South Texas.

What is the most expensive ranch in Texas? ›

#1 Sandow Lakes Ranch, Texas | $250,000,000

Sandow Lakes Ranch covers 33,800 acres and is for sale at $250 million.

What city in Texas has the most cows? ›

Hereford, Texas is known as “The Beef Capital of the World”. There are many reasons for this - billions of reasons!

Who owns largest land in world? ›

The Biggest Landowners in the World
RankNameLocations
1King Charles III and the British Royal FamilyUnited Kingdom, Canada
2Catholic ChurchWorldwide
3Inuit People of NunavutCanada
4Gina RinehartAustralia, United States
21 more rows

Are there billionaire ranchers? ›

Other spectacular ranches currently for sale include; billionaire Charles Koch's Matador Ranch in Texas, which will soon hit the market for $124 million, Boone Pickens Mesa Vista Ranch in Texas for $220 million, Tobacco billionaire Brad Kelley's Elk Valley Ranch in New Mexico for $96 million, Hamms Brewing William ...

What is the oldest family owned ranch in Texas? ›

The JA Ranch is a historic cattle ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in Armstrong County, Texas. Founded in 1876 by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair, it is the oldest cattle ranching operation in the Texas Panhandle.

Who runs the King Ranch today? ›

The King Ranch LK brand, still in use today, stands for partners Lewis and King. King and Lewis established a cow camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek. During this time, Richard King purchased the Rincón de Santa Gertrudis grant, a 15,500 acres (63 km2; 24.2 sq mi) holding that encompassed present-day Kingsville, Texas.

Who owns the most expensive ranch? ›

However, the most expensive ranch ever sold in the U.S. is a title that remains with the W.T. Waggoner Ranch. The sprawling 510,000-acre estate in Texas was purchased in 2016 by billionaire real estate and sports mogul Stan Kroenke for a whopping $725 million.

What are the 4 largest ranches in Texas? ›

Summary of the 12 Largest Ranches in Texas
RankRanchAcreage
1King Ranch800,000
2Briscoe Ranches640,000
3O'Connor Family Ranch587,000
4Waggoner Ranch535,000
8 more rows
May 1, 2023

Who owns 6666 Ranch today? ›

In addition to the famous 6666 Ranch, Taylor Sheridan owns Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. The equine ranch hosts competitions and is expanding its operations with TV and film shoots, concerts and festivals, dining, and special events. What is the history of the '6666 Ranch'?

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