Top States: Cropland Value 

$ per acre

New Jersey 13,000

California 10,910

Arizona 8,300

Delaware 8,200

Iowa 8,000

Illinois 7,450

Indiana 7,000

Florida 6,730

Maryland 6,530

Pennsylvania 6,100

About the Surveys

The National Agricultural Statistics 

Service (NASS) conducts the annual 

June Area Survey to collect data on 

crop acreage, land use, grain stocks, 

farms, rents, and the value of land 

and sales. NASS estimates national 

and state agricultural land values and 

rental rates paid by producers (cash 

rents) from that survey. NASS collects 

county-level rental rates from the 

Cash Rents Survey conducted every 

other year. Both the June Area and 

Cash Rents surveys were conducted in 

June 2016.

Both the value of agricultural land and the rent producers pay to rent land 

(cash rent) decreased in 2016. Agricultural land includes irrigated and nonirrigated cropland as well as pastureland.

The average value of U.S. cropland (including both irrigated and non-irrigated 

land) was $4,090 per acre in 2016, a decrease of $40 per acre, or 1 percent, 

since 2015. To rent cropland, producers paid an average of $136 per acre in 

2016, a 6 percent decrease from the year before. Until 2016, cropland values 

had not declined since 2009. In fact, between 2006 and 2016, cropland value 

doubled and cash rent increased 71 percent. (Fig. 1) Data are for the 48 

contiguous states.

Fig. 1. U.S. Cropland: Value and Rent Paid, 2006 – 2016

($ per acre)

Land Value Cash Rent

Rent

Land Value

$60

$20

$0

$80

$100

$120

$140

$160

$2,000

$500

$0

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Source: USDA NASS.

Agricultural Land Values

At the state level, the value of cropland in 2016 ranged from $1,010 per

acre in Montana to $10,910 per acre in California and $13,000 per acre in

New Jersey. (Fig. 2 on next page) The amount of change between 2015 and 

2016 ranged from a 7.2 percent decrease in Kansas to a 7.9 percent increase

in Georgia. 

NASS Highlights

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov

October 2016 • No. 2016-9

U.S. cropland value fell 

slightly in 2016

2016 AGRICULTURAL LAND

Land Values and Cash Rents
Fig. 2. Cropland Value Per Acre, 2015, by State

U.S. = $4,090

>$8,000

$5,701−$8,000

$3,601−$5,700

$2,601−$3,600

<$2,601

Not Published

Source: USDA NASS.

U.S. pastureland remained unchanged, at an average 

value of $1,330 per acre in both 2015 and 2016. At the 

state level, the 2016 value ranged from $350 per acre 

in New Mexico to $12,500 in New Jersey. In ten states, 

the value of pasture remained unchanged from 2015 

(California, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and 

Wyoming). For the remaining states, the change in value 

ranged from a 7.2 percent decrease in Kansas to a 7.0 

percent increase in Arkansas.

Farm Real Estate Value

U.S. farm real estate value – the value of all land and 

buildings on farms – averaged $3,010 per acre in 2016, 

down $10 per acre (0.3 percent) from 2015. Since 2006, 

average value is up 64.5 percent.

At the state level, average value in 2016 ranged from 

$520 per acre in New Mexico to $13,800 in Rhode Island. 

The percent change ranged from a 7.4 percent decrease 

in Kansas to a 5.9 percent increase in Oklahoma. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

www.nass.usda.gov

Rent Paid for Agricultural Land

In addition to total cropland, rental rates declined for 

irrigated land and for pasture. For irrigated cropland, 

producers nationally paid an average of $206 per 

acre, down 1 percent from $209 per acre in 2015. For 

pastureland, rental rates decreased from $14 per acre in 

2015 to $13 in 2016.

Among states, the rental 

rate per acre in 2016 

ranged from $32 in 

Montana and Oklahoma 

to $309 in California for 

all cropland; from $67 

in Oklahoma to $440 in 

California for irrigated 

cropland; from $15 in 

Wyoming to $235 in Iowa 

for non-irrigated cropland; 

and from $2 in Arizona to 

$52 in Iowa for pastureland. 

At the county level, average rental rates for cropland in 

2016 ranged from $5 per acre for non-irrigated cropland 

in Edwards County, Texas, to $2,300 per acre for irrigated 

cropland in Ventura County, California.

• The twelve counties with the highest average rental 

rates for irrigated cropland were all in California. 

• For non-irrigated cropland, the ten counties with the 

highest average rental rates were in Illinois and Iowa. 

Sangamon County, Illinois, had the highest rate, at 

an average of $301 per acre. 

• The ten counties with the highest average rental 

rates for pasture were spread across seven states. 

Snohomish County, Washington, had the highest 

rate ($111 per acre).

Top States: Cropland Cash Rent

($ per acre)

California 309

Iowa 235

Arizona 222

Illinois 221

Hawaii 209

Nebraska 196

Washington 195

Indiana 192

Minnesota 170

Idaho 168

Access the Data

Find land value data through the Quick Stats 2.0 database 

(http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov). 

• In Program, select “Survey” 

• In Sector, select “Economics” 

• In Group, select “Farms & Land & Assets” 

• In Commodity, select “Ag Land” 

• Select your data item, geographic level, and year 

Find cash rents data through pre-defined Quick Stats queries:

State data: http://go.usa.gov/xkECH 

County data: http://go.usa.gov/xkErk

Six of the top ten states in 

average farm real estate 

value are in the northeast.

Top States: Farm Real Estate 

Value ($ per acre)

Rhode Island 13,800 

New Jersey 12,800 

Connecticut 11,200 

Massachusetts 10,400 

Delaware 8,400 

California 7,900 

Iowa 7,850 

Illinois 7,400 

Indiana 7,150 

Maryland 7,060