Alpacas sell for a huge range of prices. Some alpacas cost only a couple of hundred dollars while recently, one high-bred alpaca recently sold for $750,000. If you are looking into getting alpacas, it’s important to understand what makes an alpaca worth its cost and how to buy the right alpaca for you.
How much do alpacas cost? Alpaca prices in the USA range from $100 to One Million dollars. The price of an alpaca varies based on many factors including its lineage, the quality of the fleece, temperament and other factors. Additionally, the price varies from state to state.
Alpacas make great pets and can bond with their owners. But, as you look to purchase your alpaca, remember that alpacas are herd animals and need companions. This guide to raising alpacas covers food, shelter, and health requirements.
I’ll cover many of the factors that affect alpaca prices in this article. In addition, I’ve put together a state-by-state guide to alpaca prices based on the quality of the alpaca, breed, and gender. Feel free to click on the state you’re interested in to skip to that state’s information.
| State | Pet Quality | Hobby Farm | Show Prices | Stud fee |
| Alaska | Limited | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Alabama | $850.00 | $3,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $500.00 |
| Arizona | $1,100.00 | $3,000.00 | $9,800.00 | $950.00 |
| Arkansas | $1,090.00 | $2,700.00 | $8,300.00 | $600.00 |
| California | $750.00 | $2,800.00 | $16,800.00 | $1,900.00 |
| Colorado | $800.00 | $2,450.00 | $13,450.00 | $1,600.00 |
| Connecticut | $900.00 | $2,300.00 | $14,400.00 | $875.00 |
| Delaware | $600.00 | $2,850.00 | $7,500.00 | Limited |
| Florida | $950.00 | $3,500.00 | $15,800.00 | Limited |
| Georgia | $1,000.00 | $2,300.00 | $13,000.00 | Limited |
| Hawaii | Limited | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Idaho | $900.00 | $2,850.00 | $10,950.00 | 1000* |
| Illinois | $750.00 | $2,900.00 | $7,400.00 | $675.00 |
| Indiana | $800.00 | $2,400.00 | $6,300.00 | $800.00 |
| Iowa | $525.00 | $3,100.00 | $12,200.00 | $975.00 |
| Kansas | $800.00 | $2,910.00 | $7,250.00 | $1,300.00 |
| Kentucky | $1,300.00 | $3,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $1,900.00 |
| Louisiana | $725.00 | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Maine | $725.00 | $2,750.00 | $9,000.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Maryland | $850.00 | $2,900.00 | $8,000.00 | $1,100.00 |
| Massachussetts | $675.00 | $3,300.00 | $7,500.00 | $1,050.00 |
| Michigan | $800.00 | $2,500.00 | $13,700.00 | $500.00 |
| Minnesota | $400.00 | $2,300.00 | $100,000.00 | $450.00 |
| Mississippi | $750.00 | $1,900.00 | $20,000.00 | $600.00 |
| Missouri | $725.00 | $2,100.00 | $20,000 | $1,350.00 |
| Montana | $950.00 | $3,200.00 | $20,750.00 | $1,350.00 |
| Nebraska | $675.00 | $2,300.00 | $7,200.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Nevada | $850.00 | $3,000.00 | $9,800.00 | $1,300.00 |
| New Hampshire | $775.00 | $2,700.00 | $100,000.00 | $950.00 |
| New Jersey | $900.00 | $2,900.00 | $9,700.00 | $1,200.00 |
| New Mexico | $750.00 | $2,750.00 | $7,750.00 | $950.00 |
| New York | $760.00 | $2,800.00 | $10,500.00 | $950.00 |
| North Carolina | $750.00 | $2,800.00 | $10,600.00 | $650.00 |
| North Dakota | $1,000.00 | $2,800.00 | $6,000.00 | $750.00 |
| Ohio | $750.00 | $2,300.00 | $18,000.00 | $925.00 |
| Oklahoma | $925.00 | $2,900.00 | $9,500.00 | $975.00 |
| Oregon | $475.00 | $3,610.00 | $52,000.00 | $1,700.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $835.00 | $2,850.00 | $9,300.00 | $1,150.00 |
| Rhode Island | $1,000.00 | $2,400.00 | $13,400.00 | $1,000.00 |
| South Carolina | $650.00 | $2,600.00 | $5,000.00 | $750.00 |
| South Dakota | $725.00 | $2,300.00 | Limited | $500.00 |
| Tennessee | $1,000.00 | $3,100.00 | $7,300.00 | $750.00 |
| Texas | $825.00 | $3,500.00 | $14,700.00 | $625.00 |
| Utah | $630.00 | $1,725.00 | $13,650.00 | $600.00 |
| Vermont | $820.00 | $2,700.00 | $7,250.00 | $700.00 |
| Virginia | $600.00 | $2,700.00 | $10,600.00 | $1,150.00 |
| Washington | $830.00 | $2,600.00 | $10,300.00 | $975.00 |
| West Virginia | $950.00 | $2,600.00 | $9,000.00 | $1,400.00 |
| Wisconsin | $775.00 | $3,200.00 | $22,300.00 | $950.00 |
| Wyoming | $975.00 | $2,600.00 | $7,000.00 | $600.00 |
This table shows the average prices for alpacas for pets, hobby farms, and show alpacas.
Determining The Value Of An Alpaca
Alpacas come in a wide variety of breeding, quality, and characteristics that determine its cost and value. There are three main quality levels of alpacas:
- Pet quality alpacas
- Farm quality alpacas
- Show quality alpacas
- Herdsire alpacas
Each of these levels has a high amount of variation within each level. Pet quality alpacas are alpacas that are friendly, unregistered, and often include neutered males, or females that don’t birth well or get pregnant well. It can also include an older alpaca that has passed its usefulness in other areas.
Pet Alpaca Facts and Prices
Pet alpacas can also include rescue alpacas. If you have a pet alpaca that does reproduce, then you will likely only sell those babies to others for pets. You can also use or sell the fiber for alpaca products. Often pet quality alpaca fiber can be sold industrially where it can be made into rugs, carpets, and other products and dyed a specific color.
How much do pet alpacas cost? Pet alpacas generally cost as little as two or three hundred dollars and can cost as much as $1,500 each. Pet alpacas may not reproduce well and are usually unregistered with the Alpaca Owners Association, which tracks the lineage of alpacas in the United States.
- Pet alpaca sales
- Sale of the fiber
- Costs: $200-$1,500 each
Hobby Farm Quality Alpacas
Farm qualified alpacas are usually alpacas that are used on hobby farms primarily for making money. These alpacas have finer-quality fiber than their pet counterparts. They may also have darker coloring of their wool. This better quality fleece sells for more. It is usually sold to the cottage industry where demand for natural vivid colors is high.
Hobby alpacas have a better-traced pedigree and are usually registered. They should birth babies well and produce good stock. There should be no birth defects or other issues.
How much do farm quality alpacas cost? Farm quality alpacas are used on hobby farms to generate profits and revenue. These alpacas usually start at about $1,500 each and can cost as much as $5,000 depending on the age, quality, breeding, and physical appearance of the alpaca.
- Offspring of hobby-farm alpacas sell for more
- Fiber is higher quality and sells for more
- May include darker wool colors
- Costs: $1,500-$5,000
Show Quality Alpacas
Show quality alpacas are for the serious alpaca connoisseurs. They are the most expensive alpacas and have great genetics and high-quality breeding lines. They come from alpaca “royalty” genetically and have both the temperament, offspring, and physical characteristics to show.
Quality is key with show alpacas. Before you purchase a show-quality alpaca, you should be very familiar with all things alpaca. Show-quality alpacas should conform in their teeth and bite, ears, faces, nose, body score, tail, balance and proportions, movement, and their genitalia.
Show alpacas should not have front legs that turn out at all. The pelvic area should be wide. The bottom teeth should meet the palate evenly. Be aware that some alpaca owners file down the teeth to help the alpaca eat so you may not see the natural teeth of the alpaca you are looking at. Additionally, alpaca’s bite changes over the years so a young alpaca may end up with a worse bite after 2 or 3 more years.
The fiber is of the highest quality. It should be measured on criteria of its thickness, length, color, weight, handle, crimp, uniformity, brightness and luster, and lack of guard hair.
How much do show-quality alpacas cost? Show quality alpacas usually cost at least $5,000 and have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. $750,000 is the highest recorded price of a show alpaca sale. These prized animals are the top of their class genetically and have incredible ancestry and proven performance and appearance.
- Show quality alpacas can win awards in shows (including cash prizes)
- Offspring sells for the most
- Experienced and award-winning alpacas sell for more as well
- Fiber is the best quality and demands top-notch for its weight
- Cost: $5,000 and up.
Herdsire Alpacas
Herdsire alpacas are male alpacas of exceptional quality. They are usually award-winning alpacas that produce excellent offspring. Herdsire alpacas sell for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you want to rent a herdsire alpaca, you will probably pay at least $1,000 for a successful breeding that results in a cria. Breedings can cost as much as $5,000 per herdsire rental.
- Cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Rental of a herdsire costs $1,000-$5,000 per offspring produced.
Other Factors That Determine Alpaca Prices
In addition to the type of alpaca you are purchasing, other factors help to determine the price. Genetics is important. Alpacas from top genetic lines go for much more money than alpacas without traced genetic or with lower quality lines. The offspring of champion alpacas tend to sell for more than other young alpacas.
Another consideration is an alpacas offspring. If a female alpaca has successfully given birth without complications and has produced high-quality babies, she will generally sell for more. Even champion alpacas lose value when they struggle to conceive, give birth to healthy babies, or have a wide variance in the quality of offspring they produce. This includes deformities, fiber quality, and other physical traits of the babies.
Offspring quality can also affect male herdsire alpacas. Another factor that can lower the value of a male alpaca is their consistent inability to impregnate a female alpaca.
Even young alpacas who have won awards or title in championships will sell for more than their unawarded counterparts. Champion alpacas become prized because so many aspects of the quality of the alpaca are judged in contests that it really becomes a trademark for the quality of the alpaca.
Fleece quality makes a big difference in the value of an alpaca. Fleece is judged based on many criteria. Alpacas that produce more fleece than average will sell for more because they are more profitable.
Alpaca fiber is also judged on how fine the fibers are. The finer the fiber, the better it’s considered. Fineness is measured in microns. Most alpaca farms can provide reports on individual alpaca’s fiber fineness.
The length of the fiber is also important. The longer the fiber, the better. It makes it much easier to work with and to spin. Additionally, the density of the fiber is important because it will tell you how much fleece you will get off your alpaca annually.
Alpacas with consistent fleece are prized more highly than those with inconsistent fleece. Obviously it makes a difference to have consistent fleece that doesn’t have to be sorted and sold for different prices.
Crimp describes the curliness or zig-zag pattern of the wool. The more crimp the better because it’s easier to work with and is considered a more valuable feature.
Fleece coloring is important to individual farms. Some colors are rarer than others and alpacas with those colorings will sell for more. Additionally, most alpaca farms focus on specific colors and will look for and pay more for alpacas that fill the desired fleece colors.
Another factor is the temperament of the alpaca. Friendly, mellow alpacas are generally worth more than grumpy and skittish alpacas. The temperament of the alpaca is critical for show alpacas but is also important for any families or farms that have children around. Alpacas can be trained from youth to be more mellow, but they also have individual personalities.
It’s important to choose a mellow alpaca with a temperament that matches your individual needs, as well as to choose one from a breeder that knows how to handle and treat alpacas to bring out a more mellow personality.
Gender is obviously important based on your individual goals and farm needs. Female alpacas that are great mothers can often go for more than male alpacas. However, a male alpaca with excellent genetics and other qualities can often rent for very high prices. Sales prices are often even higher. These high-quality male alpacas are generally called herdsires and are used to produce high-quality alpaca herds.
The age of an alpaca is another determining factor. Alpacas generally live for about 20 years. Breeding alpacas are generally considered good for about 10 years. If you purchase an older alpaca, it will cost less, but there is a higher risk of birth deformities, health issues, and the viability and ease of breeding.
Alpaca traits that affect price:
- Genetics, lineage, and parental quality
- Gender and history of offspring
- Awards won
- Fiber quality, thickness, and fineness
- Crimp quality and conformation of the fleece
- Wool color
- Temperament of the alpaca
- Age
Alpacas In The United States
Alpacas were introduced into the United States in the mid-1980s. They originate from Peru, but since that time, alpacas imported from Peru have been banned. Only alpacas from Australia and Canada can be imported to the United States.
Plus, alpacas exported out of Peru have an export tax that almost equals the cost of the animal. As a result, the supply of alpacas and genetic lines in the USA are limited. This makes high-quality and high-bred alpacas very valuable.
Combine that with the fact that alpacas can only get pregnant naturally and only have one baby per year, which means the supply remains limited.
Resources for Purchasing Alpacas
There are a number of websites that are great resources for finding alpacas and comparing their qualifications.
The Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) has a national listing of alpacas that can be searched by zip code, gender, type, breed, and other criteria. In addition to the AOAs database of resources, they also have a listing of region alpaca organizations. Some of those organizations have their own regional listings of alpacas for sale or herdsire rentals.
The Suri Network is another great resource for would-be alpaca owners. Although you might think it focuses only on Suri alpacas, it also has national listings of both Huacaya and Suri alpacas.
Openherd is a website that lists many different animals for sale. But, unlike the AOA and Suri Network, you can search alpacas by state or by zip code. I found it to be one of most comprehensive listings of alpacas for sale for nearly every state.
Average Prices of Alpacas In Alaska For Sale
Alaska has a unique quandary. Because of its distance from the rest of the country, it is very expensive to ship alpacas to other states for sale. That means that even very high-quality and well-bred alpacas have sold for super cheap.
The Alaskan alpaca market fell in the early 2000s and has never recovered. I searched for alpaca farms and was unable to find any alpaca farms online.
The only alpacas that were listed for sale in Alaska were listed on classified newspapers for a few hundred dollars.
| No information |
Cost of Alpacas in Alabama For Sale
The price of Alabama alpacas ranges from $350 to $5,000. There are few alpacas in the state and not many of any quality or breeding.
Alabama has few alpaca farms. I found only one alpaca farm in the entire state. It also doesn’t have its own alpaca association. The alpacas that I found listed for sale were from Openherd.com and the Alpaca Owners Association, which lists alpacas across the United States.
Alabama has a very limited supply of alpacas. I listed the alpacas for sale by male and female and Suri alpacas and Huacaya alpacas.
3 0 0 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale None for sale |
||
0 0 2 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale None for sale $3,000 |
||
0 0 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale None for sale |
Cost of Alpacas in Arizona For Sale
Arizona alpaca prices range from $250 to $15,000. Arizona has a wide variety of alpacas listed for sale so there is an alpaca for everyone!
Arizona has several alpaca farms. One of the best places to find Arizona alpacas for sale is at Alpaca Breeders of Arizona. This organization lists the alpaca farms across the state. There were many alpacas for sale that didn’t have prices listed. Many of these alpacas are very well-bred and have a lot of awards.
In addition to purchasing alpacas, there are many options where you can lease an alpaca for a stud fee. You can also partially purchase an alpaca and keep it at an existing farm.
2 1 6 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$1500 $517 |
||
7 13 11 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$3354 $3138 $2891 |
||
24 17 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$6954 $5425 |
Cost of Alpacas in Arkansas For Sale
Arkansas alpacas range from $1 to $9,000. I didn’t include the $1 in the averages as they are outliers. The other lowest-priced alpacas are listed for $1000.
There are only a half dozen alpaca farms in Arkansas that I could locate. There are two local alpaca associations that claim to cover Arkansas. The first is the TXOLAN, or Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico Association. TXOLAN has alpacas listed from more states than those found in the name but didn’t have any for sale in Arkansas.
The other is the Midwestern Alpaca Owners And Breeders Association. This association also didn’t list any alpacas for sale in Arkansas.
Openherd.com does list the three alpaca farms in Arkansas and keeps an updated list of alpacas for sale or for rent.
Suri Network also has a few alpacas listed for sale in Arkansas.
0 1 1 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$1500 $1000 |
||
2 1 0 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$2250 $3000 $2000 |
||
0 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None available None available |
Cost of Alpacas in California For Sale
California’s alpaca sales range from $150 to $50,000. All quality types of alpacas are available for anyone looking to purchase an alpaca.
California has many alpaca farms and alpacas listed for sale. However, if you are looking for a quality stud to breed, then you will find a lot more high-quality sires for rent than for sale.
The local association that covers California alpacas is the California Alpaca Breeders Association.
31 35 34 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$829 $713 |
||
24 110 43 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$3119 $2825 $2532 |
||
25 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$7885 $10,917 |
Cost of Alpacas in Colorado For Sale
Colorado alpaca prices range from $50 for several alpacas to $22,500 for show quality alpacas.
Colorado has several alpaca farms. You can purchase both Huacaya alpacas and Suri alpacas, as well as rent sires for breeding. There are several local associations that cover Colorado. The Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies www.alpacabreeders.org covers as far west as Washington and as far east as Colorado. Midwest Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association www.mopaca.org and TXOLAN both have Colorado alpacas listed for sale.
If you are looking for a pet alpaca, you will also find some on Craigslist and in the local classifieds.
14 28 15 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$839 $667 |
||
5 110 37 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$2450 $2422 $2493 |
||
30 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$7822 $12,013 |
Cost of Alpacas in Connecticut For Sale
Connecticut alpaca sales range from $500 to $60,000 for a Huacaya male. Connecticut doesn’t have a lot of Suri alpaca farms. Most alpacas that are available are ready for rental only or don’t have prices listed.
The New England Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association has a lot of resources but doesn’t list alpaca sales. The sales I was able to locate, I found on the Alpaca Owners Association website and on individual listings for alpacas. The Suri Network also had a few alpacas listed for sale.
0 6 1 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$867 $900 |
||
0 23 6 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $2500 $2000 |
||
13 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$10,864 $14,385 |
Cost of Alpacas in Delaware For Sale
Delaware alpaca prices range from $500 to $10,000 for a Huacaya male alpaca. There are a limited number of Suri alpacas in the state.
Delaware had few alpacas for sale. The association that listed the most alpacas is the Maryland Alpacas Breeders Association. There were also a few listed with the Alpaca Owners Association.
The majority of the alpacas listed for sale in Delaware did not have prices listed. Other associations that cover Delaware include the Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association and the New England Owners and Breeders Assoc.
0 0 6 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $500 |
||
0 10 4 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $3300 $2875 |
||
9 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$6,000 $6,500 |
Cost of Alpacas in the District of Columbia For Sale
Washington DC doesn’t have any alpaca farms. The area is too tight-nit for rural farming. However, Maryland does have a large number of alpaca farms, as well as several of the other states surrounding D.C.
Cost of Alpacas in Florida For Sale
Florida alpaca sales range from $500 to $15,000 for a Huacaya female. Florida boasts a number of alpaca farms in the state. The registered alpacas are found on several local association websites.
The Florida Alpaca Breeders Association has a list of alpacas for sale in Florida. The Southeastern Alpaca Association has a listing of events and other alpaca related information.
2 6 5 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$917 $1000 |
||
0 8 0 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $2438 None for sale |
||
1 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$10,500 $5,000 |
Cost of Alpacas in Georgia For Sale
Georgia has a limited supply of alpacas for sale. The Suri Network lists several as does the Alpaca Owners Association.
In addition, there are several local associations that cover Georgia since the Georgia Alpaca Association was discontinued (they still have a Facebook page, but the website is canceled).
The Southeast Alpaca Association has great info, but few Georgia sales. The Carolina Alpaca Breeders and Owners have more information about Pennsylvania alpaca sales than any other state.
2 2 1 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$500 $1000 |
||
0 0 3 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale None for sale $2333 |
||
0 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$7,750 None for sale |
Cost of Alpacas in Hawaii For Sale
Until recently, Hawaii didn’t offer any alpaca farms. In recent years, however, some very high-quality alpaca farms have sprung up with award-winning alpacas. Many of these alpacas are available as sires for your female alpacas or for sale.
There are no local associations covering Hawaii. Further, the national alpaca associations don’t list any Hawaii alpacas for sale. Openherd does list some Hawaii alpacas for sale.
I couldn’t find many alpacas that didn’t show quality alpacas.
0 0 0 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale None for sale |
||
0 2 0 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $4,250 None for sale |
||
4 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $8,750 |
Cost of Alpacas in Idaho For Sale
Idaho alpaca prices range from $400 to $17,000 for a Huacaya male. Idaho has almost a dozen alpaca farms in the state, but none of them sell Suri alpacas. They all sell Huacaya alpacas. The Pacific Northwest Alpaca Association lists Idaho alpacas for sale. You can also find Idaho alpacas for sale on the individual farm websites. I used both farm websites and association websites.
Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies didn’t have a place that lists alpacas for sale.
0 39 26 |
Suri Male Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$1,222 $608 |
||
0 41 28 |
Suri Sire Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
None for sale $2,860 $2,995 |
||
28 |
Huacaya F Huacaya Sire |
$5,858 $10,982 |
If you are looking for other states, check out my page for states that fall alphabetically between Illinois-North Dakota, or the one for states between Ohio to Wyoming.
Related Articles
You might also find these articles helpful:
How To Raise Alpacas: A Beginner’s Guide to Owning & Farming
Most Profitable Farm Animals For A Small Farm
What is the Best Animal to Protect Chickens?
My Favorite Alpaca Resources and Supplies
Heavy Duty Water Tank that I use for all of my animals. They don’t crack or break in the cold easily and don’t wear out from the sun in the summer. These are the #1 most important supply I have for my animals.
This Water De-Icer is another critical supply that I use for every waterer. I’ve tried the heated buckets, the fancier water defrosters and pretty much everything else on the market. But these work the best. Hands down, especially when we hit -20 below!
Hoof Trimmers that don’t rust or go dull as fast as other brands. Some of the more expensive options out there have dulled much faster. These will last well if you don’t leave them in the weather.
Organic Feed for when you need a treat. Alpacas are great for grazing and don’t need commercial food, but when you want to give them something nice, this is a great option.
Electric Coat Trimmer that will cut the thicker fur of Alpacas and help them cool off in the hotter summer days. These are a great cheaper option that don’t cost $400+ that the really nice ones cost.
Winter weather can lead to overeating, but this slow feeder helps to slow down your alpacas so they don’t overeat. I haven’t tried this one, but it’s on my list.