Piper Dakota Aircraft under $500,000
Under $500k for a piston single is the high-end price band — typically modern composite singles (Cirrus SR22/SR22T from mid-2000s+), late-model Bonanza or Mooney with full glass, low-time airframes with current engine status and full mandate compliance. Highest acquisition cost in piston class but lowest pre-buy discovery risk.
20 used Piper Dakota aircraft for sale under $500,000 · $109K – $494K · updated 2 hours ago
About the Piper Dakota
The Piper Dakota (PA-28-236) is the high-power, fixed-gear Cherokee — a 235 hp Lycoming O-540 in the standard PA-28 airframe. The result is a cruise of about 140 knots and a useful load materially higher than the Archer's, making the Dakota the practical hauler of the PA-28 family. Production was relatively short, so the used market is thinner than for Warriors and Archers.
Piper Dakota Specifications
Model specThe Piper Dakota is a single engine piston with a cruise speed of 143 kt (265 km/h), a range of 650 nm (1,204 km).
20 Piper Dakota For Sale
Browse all 20 listings →There are currently 20 used Piper Dakota for sale, ranging from $109,000 to $494,900, with a median asking price of $182,828.
Compare Piper Dakota
See how the Piper Dakota stacks up against similar aircraft in specs, price, and operating costs.
⏲ Compare Piper Cherokee generations →Piper Dakota Price & Cost
How much does a Piper Dakota cost? Used Dakota prices: $109K – $494K, average $199K (median $182K), across 20 priced of 20 active listings.
Based on 6 priced listings.
Key price factors: engine time to overhaul, year and airframe hours, avionics, damage history and logbook completeness — see the buying guide below for the full pre-purchase checklist.
Piper Dakota Value by Model Year
Median asking price by year of manufacture. Newer airframes command a premium; value falls with age then plateaus on older models.
Lowest around $204,900 (2001 models) · highest around $491,000 (2023). Bars scaled across the range to show the depreciation curve; hover for exact medians.
Buying a Used Piper Dakota
When buying a Piper Dakota, the biggest value drivers are engine time since overhaul, maintenance-record completeness, damage history and avionics.
What to check before buying
- Engine time to overhaul — hours and years remaining drive price more than total airframe time.
- Logbook completeness — continuous, gap-free maintenance records protect value.
- Damage history — any prior accident or incident; cross-check the registration against accident databases.
- Avionics — a modern glass panel vs legacy steam gauges materially changes price.
- Pre-buy inspection — always commission an independent inspection by a type-experienced mechanic before money changes hands.
Frequently Asked Questions — Piper Dakota
How much can a Piper Dakota carry?
What is the difference between the Dakota and the Cherokee 235?
How fast is a Piper Dakota?
Does the Dakota have the wing-spar AD?
Piper Dakota Inventory by Country
| United States | 428 |
| United Kingdom | 37 |
| Germany | 20 |
| Canada | 16 |
| Australia | 12 |
| Switzerland | 10 |
Piper Dakota Inventory by State
| California | 54 |
| Texas | 46 |
| Florida | 45 |
| Kentucky | 19 |
| Illinois | 11 |
| Oklahoma | 11 |
| Georgia | 11 |
| Missouri | 11 |
| South Carolina | 10 |
| Arizona | 9 |
| Michigan | 9 |
| Louisiana | 8 |
Piper Dakota by Price
| Under $100k | 200 |
| Under $200k | 440 |
| Under $300k | 467 |
| Under $500k | 485 |
Recently Sold Piper Dakota
| 1977 Arrow | $115,000 |
| 1963 Cherokee 235 | $125,000 |
| 1977 Arrow | $134,196 |
| 1966 Cherokee 180 | $53,580 |
| 2005 Arrow | $300,552 |
| 1979 Archer | $190,000 |
Piper Dakota Safety Record
No NTSB events on record for the Piper Dakota. Individual aircraft safety records may be available on detail pages.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database