The selling price of forests in Hauts-de-France

Hauts-de-France is one of the least wooded regions in metropolitan France, with a forest cover rate of only 13% — approximately 365,000 hectares of forest. This relative scarcity of forest cover is precisely one of the factors explaining the particularly high prices observed in this market. Forests there are rare assets, concentrated on the silty plateaus of Picardy, the Artois hills, Thiérache, and the Ardennes massifs in southern Aisne. Between July 2020 and June 2025, the region accounted for 5.7% of national forest transactions with 1,777 sales, making it an active market despite the small wooded area. The region is home to two of the most expensive forest markets in France: Pas-de-Calais and Somme show median prices that are regularly among the highest nationwide. This article analyzes these dynamics using DVF data, supplemented by SAFER statistics. As the 2025 data only covers the first half of the year, it is presented for indicative purposes.

The price of forests in Hauts-de-France

ma-propriete.fr statistics (DVF source)

In the first half of 2025 (partial data, to be interpreted with caution), the median price of forests in Hauts-de-France stands at €7,540/ha, down from the 2024 reference year. For the full year 2024, the median price was €7,996/ha for 327 filtered transactions. The region shows the highest inter-departmental disparity in France — from €5,961/ha for Aisne to €24,327/ha for Pas-de-Calais in 2024 — illustrating the great heterogeneity of regional forest massifs. The regional median masks these considerable gaps.

* Partial data for the 1st half of 2025, to be interpreted with caution. Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

Evolution of the median price of forests in Hauts-de-France (2021–2025) — Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

The price trajectory in Hauts-de-France shows a notable feature: after a high level in 2021–2022 (around €8,800–9,000/ha), median prices show a gradual slowdown in 2023 and 2024. This phenomenon partly reflects a market rebalancing after several years of strong increases, and a rotation of demand towards other regions. The gap between average and median prices (€10,992 vs €7,996/ha in 2024) is the highest of all French regions, revealing the effect of a few exceptional transactions — notably in Pas-de-Calais and Somme — which pull the average sharply upwards.

Ministry of Agriculture statistics (SAFER source)

SAFER links Hauts-de-France to the "Nord-Bassin Parisien" forest region, the most expensive in France according to its statistics. In 2024, this forest region recorded an average price of €7,670/ha, which has been rising continuously since 2016 (+20%). This trend is consistent with the dynamics observed in the DVF data.

Source: Safer Group, Land Prices (2016–2024). "Nord-Bassin Parisien" forest region.

Average price of forests — Nord-Bassin Parisien SAFER vs national average (2016–2024) — Source: Safer Group, Land Prices

Forest prices by department in Hauts-de-France

Median forest prices by department — Hauts-de-France, 2024 and 2025* — Source: DVF, ma-propriete.fr processing

Forest sales prices in Aisne (02)

Aisne is the most accessible department in Hauts-de-France with a median price of €5,961/ha in 2024, confirmed in the 1st half of 2025 (€6,051/ha, partial data to be interpreted with caution). The Thiérache and the southern Ardennes forests constitute the main forest fabric. With 647 transactions over the period, it is also the most liquid market in the region, which is explained by more abundant forest and less deterrent prices.

* Partial data for the 1st half of 2025.

Forest sales prices in Nord (59)

The Nord department presents a very concentrated forest market (120 transactions over the period) but with particularly high prices: €15,475/ha median in 2024. This extreme valuation is explained by the very low availability of forests in an ultra-urbanized department — Nord is the most densely populated department in France — creating an absolute scarcity of wooded land. In the 1st half of 2025, the median price stands at €9,801/ha (partial data to be interpreted with caution, sample limited to 8 transactions). These figures must be interpreted with great caution given the low number of transactions.

⚠ 2025 sample size very small — indicative data only. * Partial data for the 1st half of 2025.

Forest sales prices in Oise (60)

Oise benefits from a strategic position at the gates of Paris and a remarkable forest cover, notably the Compiègne forest (24,000 ha) and the Chantilly and Ermenonville massifs. In 2024, the median price reached €7,565/ha, almost stable in the 1st half of 2025 (€7,517/ha, partial data to be interpreted with caution). With 465 transactions, Oise is the most active department in the region after Aisne. Proximity to Paris generates sustained demand for heritage assets.

* Partial data for the 1st half of 2025.

Forest sales prices in Pas-de-Calais (62)

Pas-de-Calais is, along with Somme, one of the most expensive forest markets in France. In 2024, the median price reached €24,327/ha — five times the national median. In the 1st half of 2025, the median price stands at €20,918/ha (partial data to be interpreted with caution). This price level is explained by extreme forest rarity in a department with high agricultural and urban pressure, coupled with very active industrial demand (timber, biomass). The forests of the Boulonnais and the few bocage massifs are fiercely contested.

* Partial data for the 1st half of 2025.

Forest sales prices in Somme (80)

Somme shares with Pas-de-Calais the status of being among the most expensive forest markets in France. The median price in 2024 reached €13,358/ha, with a marked increase in the 1st half of 2025 (€15,700/ha, partial data to be interpreted with caution). The forests of Crécy and Eu, on the Picardy coast, as well as the bocage massifs of Vimeu, are particularly sought after. The scarcity of forest land on the Picardy plateau, largely devoted to large-scale crops, is the main factor in this valuation.

* Partial data for the 1st half of 2025.

Analysis methods and limits of statistics

Method of analysis for DVF transactions used

The DVF data covers forest and woodland transactions in Hauts-de-France between July 2020 and June 2025. An IQR filter is applied to neutralize extreme values. The median price is the central indicator selected.

Limits of DVF data

DVF data excludes transfers of shares in Forestry Groups (Groupements Forestiers). In Hauts-de-France, the small sample sizes in Nord (59) make the annual statistics not very robust and essentially indicative. The years 2020 (H2) and 2025 (H1) are partial.

Differences with SAFER statistics

The SAFER Nord-Bassin Parisien region groups Hauts-de-France with Île-de-France, Centre-Val de Loire, and other territories. DVF prices for Pas-de-Calais and Somme are significantly higher than the regional SAFER average, confirming the effect of extreme scarcity specific to these two departments.

Conclusion

Hauts-de-France emblematically illustrates the effect of scarcity on forest prices. A forest cover rate among the lowest in France, coupled with strong agricultural and urban land pressure, produces some of the highest forest prices in Europe. Pas-de-Calais and Somme stand out on a national scale with medians exceeding €24,000 and €13,000/ha respectively in 2024. For a buyer, Aisne remains the only department offering prices comparable to the national average, while the other departments are aimed at heritage investors with large budgets.

Consult our observatory of forest prices in France and our forest listings in Hauts-de-France.

Find all our articles on forest prices by region