Balancing cultivated land benchmark prices using a method integrating rank adjustment and spatial association

Balancing cultivated land prices is widely regarded as a key approach for mitigating interregional disparities in land valuation. However, conventional approaches have largely neglected the consistency between cultivated land price rankings and regional development hierarchies. To bridge this gap, this study develops an integrated framework that combines rank adjustment with spatial association analysis to capture cross-boundary price interactions and spillover effects, based on a newly introduced cultivated land price balance index. We demonstrate this framework by applying it to optimize the cultivated land benchmark price (CLBP) system in Hubei Province, China. Our analysis reveals pronounced spatial misalignment between CLBP and regional development patterns, with systematic overvaluation in underdeveloped western counties and undervaluation in developed central areas. After balancing, the results depict a distinct east-high and west-low pricing gradient, forming a “one-core, two-satellite” spatial structure of land values that better corresponds with Hubei’s regional development strategies and territorial planning objectives. The proposed model overcomes key limitations of traditional land price evaluation frameworks, as demonstrated by correlation tests with a state‑audited benchmark dataset of cultivated land. This study provides both a methodological advance in cultivated land price system refinement and theoretical insights into the spatial interaction mechanisms between regional development and land value formation.