Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the volatility clustering in the return of land markets through both theoretical and empirical approaches.Design/methodology/approach– Using extensive monthly panel data at the provincial level from 1986 to 2013, the authors identify the existence of time-correlated and time-varying returns in Canadian land markets.Findings– Consistent with the proposed theory, volatility clustering in land markets tends to be observed in more populated areas.Originality/value– The result has significant implications for portfolio management, economic theory and government policy by revealing the systematic pattern of volatility clustering in land markets.