Investing in Vacant Land in Mohave County, Arizona

LYDOS
Aug 29
6 min read

Updated: Aug 30

A data-driven market brief for long-term land investors

Executive summary - Vacant Land in Mohave County

Mohave County sits in northwest Arizona along the Colorado River, facing Nevada and California. It combines massive land availability, low carrying costs, interstate and rail logistics, outdoor-driven demand, and multiple development catalysts (I-40/US-93 interchange; new I-40 access to the airport/industrial park). Risks concentrate around water management in the Hualapai Basin and the large share of federally owned land, which shapes where private development can occur. For patient investors who buy well-located acreage with legal access and realistic utility/water plans, Mohave offers compelling risk-adjusted potential. azcommerce.comazdot.gov +1

Where you’re investing

Scale & geography. Mohave is Arizona’s second-largest county by area (≈13,470 sq mi), with 1,000 miles of river/lake shoreline tied to the Colorado River, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu—key magnets for recreation and seasonal housing. azcommerce.com
Population & growth. County population ≈226k (2024 estimate). Lake Havasu City is up about 3.3% since 2020; its metro-adjacent peers (Bullhead City/Fort Mohave/Kingman) show steady in-migration of retirees and service workers. Census.gov +1 Data USA
Ownership pattern. Roughly 70%+ of Mohave land is federally owned (mainly BLM), and only about 10% is privately owned—so “where you can buy” matters more than “how much total land exists.” BLM’s Kingman Field Office alone oversees ~2.4 million acres; federal documents identify 80,000+ acres potentially suitable for disposal in various BLM plans (periodically auctioned or exchanged). Bureau of Land Management+1 U.S. Department of the Interior

Investment implication: The private-land share is limited, creating scarcity premiums near infrastructure, lakes, and growth nodes.

Market snapshot (2025)

Carrying costs (taxes). Mohave’s effective property-tax rate is ~0.44%–0.51%, well below U.S. averages; there’s no Arizona real-estate transfer tax, which lowers friction at both entry and exit. Ownwell SmartAsset HomeLight
Housing values & velocity. Zillow’s countywide home-value index sits near $350k (down ≈1–2% YoY), with typical listings going pending in ~40 days—evidence of a functioning resale market that supports land-to-housing plays. Zillow
Vacant-land liquidity. Large online marketplaces show thousands of Mohave land listings across size bands, from sub-acre RV/manufactured-home lots to 100–160-acre tracts, providing both exit comps and optionality. Landwatch.com Realtor

Price context: what acreage actually trades for

(Representative asking prices—always verify recent comps before offers.)

Small rural lots (0.5–2.5 ac): frequently $7.5k–$25k in Yucca/Golden Valley/Dolan Springs corridors (examples on Zillow). Zillow
“Rancho” / 10–20 ac hobby tracts: often $30k–$70k depending on access and terrain (multiple Golden Valley/Kingman examples). Landwatch.com
40–160 ac off-grid tracts: a wide band $130k–$160k for 160-acre sections near Kingman/Hackberry; premium highway-frontage or US-93-visible parcels can list much higher. Landwatch.com

Investment implication: Mohave allows laddering—start with low-basis lots to learn permitting and resale, then scale into 40–160 ac assemblages near planned interchanges or industrial rail.

Demand drivers you can underwrite

Interstate logistics (I-40) + the Las Vegas corridor (US-93 → future I-11).
- Construction is underway on the I-40/US-93 West Kingman system interchange (free-flow connection), slated through 2027—a structural upgrade for freight and commuter flows between Phoenix, Kingman, and Las Vegas. azdot.gov
- A new $44M I-40 interchange (Rancho Santa Fe) on Kingman’s east side will link directly to the airport & industrial park, opening new pads and shortening trip times. azdot.govchoosekingman.com
Rail-served industrial park.Kingman Airport & Industrial Park is BNSF-served via the Kingman Terminal Railroad (Patriot Rail); >1,500 carloads move annually, and multiple parcels lie within Opportunity Zones. Rail + interstate access = credible absorption for warehouse/MRO/light manufacturing land. choosekingman.com +1
Recreation & second-home economy.1,000 miles of shoreline (Colorado River/Lakes Mohave & Havasu) underpins RV resorts, boat storage, STRs, and seasonal housing demand—i.e., land near water corridors tends to retain liquidity even in slower cycles. azcommerce.com
Low frictional taxes.Sub-1% effective property tax and no transfer tax help land hold-cost math and improve IRR on shorter flips and longer builds alike. SmartAsset HomeLight

Submarket notes (northwest to south)

Meadview / White Hills / Dolan Springs (US-93 to Hoover Dam): Desert tracts with Las Vegas proximity; good for low-basis buys and recreational uses; watch for legal access and water logistics. Wikipedia
Kingman & Golden Valley: County seat and logistics hub with two major interchange projects; best for industrial-adjacent holdings, small-lot subdivisions, and acreage splits with road plans. Two local Opportunity Zones (Kingman & Hackberry) can layer tax advantages for patient capital. azdot.gov +1choosekingman.com
Bullhead City / Fort Mohave (across from Laughlin, NV): River-recreation, medical services, and retirement inflows; consider RV/manufactured-home zoning and boat-oriented storage uses. azcommerce.com
Lake Havasu City & Desert Hills: Strong lifestyle demand; recent state trust-land auction set a record near the city—evidence of institutional appetite for entitled land. mohavejournal.com
Yucca / Topock / Mohave Valley: Large tracts at low basis along I-40; off-grid homesteads and solar suitability; diligence on floodplains and washes is essential. Landwatch.com

Entitlements, splits & what’s “easy”

Minor land divisions (≤5 lots). Arizona law (A.R.S. §11-809) limits county discretion: for five-or-fewer splits, review is mainly for zoning minimums and legal access; no public hearing is required and applications time-out to approval if not processed in 30 days. (Counties still enforce access/notice requirements in deeds.) This is a practical path to create exit inventory if you buy acreage with frontage or easements. Justia Law
Zoning & permits. Mohave County publishes its Zoning Ordinance and development workflows; septic approval is required for any project with plumbing—critical for scattered-lot strategies. Mohave County+1
Maps & comps. The County’s GIS and subdivision/plat maps help confirm access, prior splits, and floodways before you go hard on deposits. Mohave County+1

Water: constraint & catalyst

Regulatory trend: In Dec 2022 the state designated the Hualapai Valley Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA) (north of Kingman), restricting new irrigation expansions due to aquifer stress—material if your thesis includes row-crop or water-intensive uses. Broader rural groundwater reform remains active in Phoenix politics (2024–2025 proposals). azwater.govFennemoreazgovernor.gov
Context: County water research shows irrigation-driven groundwater use surged ~178% (2010–2015) in the Hualapai Basin, underscoring why regulators moved. High-profile state actions against heavy groundwater pumping on state trust lands (La Paz County) illustrate Arizona’s tightening posture. wrrc.arizona.edu AP News

Investment implication: Residential, light-industrial, RV/resort, storage, and logistics land plays are generally more straightforward than large new irrigated agriculture. Always underwrite well feasibility, haul/water-delivery, or municipal hookups early.

Infrastructure & energy tailwinds

Interchanges under construction (I-40/US-93 West Kingman; I-40 Rancho Santa Fe) will shift traffic patterns and create new commercial corners and industrial approaches—classic land-value catalysts. azdot.gov +1
Transmission & renewables. The region interconnects to high-capacity lines (e.g., Mead–Phoenix 500 kV corridor), and large-scale wind/solar proposals have targeted Mohave County—useful for siting storage/solar-adjacent yards or service bases, even if project timing varies. Western Area Power Administration U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation

Taxes & business climate

Property taxes: ~0.44–0.51% effective, among Arizona’s lowest counties. Ownwell SmartAsset
Transfer taxes: None in Arizona (voter-protected), reducing exit friction; standard recording fees still apply. Clever Real Estate DeedClaim
Income tax: Arizona’s flat 2.5% individual tax rate keeps long-term hold income and gains relatively efficient (consult your CPA on OZ or 1031 strategies). Kiplinger
Opportunity Zones: Seven OZ tracts countywide, including two in the Kingman area and one in Lake Havasu City—useful for patient, improvement-heavy projects. OpportunityZones.com +1choosekingman.com

Strategy playbook

“Corner the access” near interchanges. Accumulate 10–80 acre positions within 2–5 miles of the new I-40/US-93 system interchange or the Rancho Santa Fe interchange/airport corridor, then pursue minor splits and resale to builders and yard users. azdot.gov +1
Lake-adjacent leisure & storage. Boat/RV storage, small-lot plats, and STR-capable parcels around Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, and Mohave Valley capitalize on recreation demand with modest water loads. The record ASLD auction near Lake Havasu signals strong developer appetite. mohavejournal.com
Rail-enabled industrial pads. Target acreage with practical truck/rail approach to Kingman Airport & Industrial Park—particularly parcels falling in OZ tracts to stack tax incentives. choosekingman.com +1
Low-basis land banking. In White Hills/Dolan Springs/Yucca corridors, focus on legal access + topography + view corridors; hold through interchange completion and US-93 upgrades. azdot.gov

Key risks (and how to mitigate)

Water availability & rules. Verify basin status (e.g., Hualapai INA), well depths, hauling options, and any HOA/CC&R limits on water delivery or tanks. Budget conservative well/haul costs. azwater.gov
Access & utilities. Arizona’s minor land-division law is friendly, but legal access and emergency-vehicle access must be disclosed/solved; power extension can dominate pro formas in sparse areas. Justia Law
Public-land adjacency. With ~70% federal ownership, confirm that your parcel isn’t constrained by withdrawals, monuments, or protected habitat; BLM disposal lists and county general plan maps are essential checks. Bureau of Land Management U.S. Department of the Interior Mohave County
Market cyclicality. County home values softened ~1–2% YoY; buy with margin of safety (basis, access, path-of-progress) rather than pure appreciation bets. Zillow

Due-diligence checklist (actionable)

Pull parcel report (APN, ownership, easements), GIS overlays, FEMA flood, and BLM/State Trust layers. Mohave County
Confirm zoning use table, minimum lot sizes, and setbacks for your intended exit. Mohave County
For any project with plumbing, map the path to septic approval and water supply (well, haul, or municipal). Mohave County
If splitting, align with A.R.S. §11-809 and county Minor Land Division workflows. Justia Law Mohave County
Validate road access (dedicated ROW vs. private easement) and rough power extension costs.
For OZ strategies, confirm census-tract boundaries and timelines for substantial improvement. choosekingman.com HUD

Bottom line

Mohave County is a classic infrastructure-plus-lifestyle land story: abundant sun and space; low taxes; a tightening web of interchanges, rail, and river recreation; and a constrained private-land supply. The prudent path is to buy legal-access parcels near known catalysts (I-40/US-93, airport/industrial, river/lake nodes), plan water/septic early, and use Arizona’s investor-friendly split rules to create bite-size exit inventory. If you can tolerate entitlement and utility work—and underwrite water carefully—the county offers multiple shots at asymmetric returns. azdot.gov +1 Bureau of Land Management