Red Oak in the Eastern US
Red Oak in the Forest
Data from the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis group shows that red oak is a very prominent species group in Eastern US forests.
There are at least 15 red oak species of commercial value in the region. Table 1 shows red oak sawtimber volumes for the 33 states east of the Great Plains. They make up nearly a quarter of the standing inventory, growth and harvest of hardwoods in the region. They also make up nearly 15 percent of the total standing inventory, but only 10 percent of the growth and removals.
Table 1. Red Oak Sawtimber Tree Inventory, Growth and Harvest Removals
Source: USFS Forest Inventory & Analysis
Regional Red Oak Lumber Prices
Northern red oak lumber prices rose along with most hardwood and softwood lumber prices beginning in mid-2020 (Figure 1). While softwood prices peaked and crashed twice between 2020 and 2023, hardwood prices did not fall sharply until late in 2023.
Figure 1. Northern Region Red Oak Lumber Prices
Sources: Hardwood Market Report, Hardwood Review Weekly
Appalachian red oak lumber prices are strongly correlated with northern prices (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Appalachian Region Red Oak Lumber Prices
Sources: Hardwood Market Report, Hardwood Review Weekly
Southern red oak lumber prices tend to run a little lower than prices further north (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Southern Region Red Oak Lumber Prices
Sources: Hardwood Market Report, Hardwood Review Weekly
Northern Region Red Oak Stumpage and Lumber Prices
Stumpage prices in the North are generally strongly, but not perfectly, correlated with lumber prices (the correlation coefficients range from about 0.20 to about 0.70) (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Northern Region Red Oak Stumpage and Lumber Prices
Sources: Hardwood Market Report, Hardwood Review Weekly, Timber Mart North NY Division of Forests & Lands, NH Timberland Owners Association
