Top Cash Rent States in '26   07/31 15:13

   USDA: California Had Highest Average Cropland Cash Rent in 2026

   New data from the USDA shows California continues to have the highest 
cropland cash rents in the country.

Todd Neeley
DTN Environmental Editor

   LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service on 
Friday released data on farm cash rents in all 50 states for 2026, showing that 
California had the highest average per-acre values for the second consecutive 
year.

   In 2025, California overtook Arizona as the highest average per-acre value. 
In 2026, however, the USDA data release contained no overall data for Arizona.

   One note of interest: although California maintained the top spot on these 
cash rents, the state saw a $15 per-acre drop on overall cropland rents and a 
$13 per-acre drop on cash rents for irrigated cropland.

   The average cash rent for cropland was $160 per acre nationally, which is $1 
an acre lower than 2025. The average irrigated cropland cash rent came in at 
$244 an acre, which was unchanged from last year.

   Here are the top 10 states by highest average overall cropland rents:

   1. California, $331 an acre.

   2. Hawaii, $280 an acre.

   3. Iowa, $271 an acre.

   4. Illinois, $261 an acre.

   5. Washington, $234 an acre.

   6. Indiana, $232 an acre.

   7. Nebraska, $227 an acre.

   8. Idaho, $212 an acre.

   9. Minnesota, $206 an acre.

   10. Ohio, $188 an acre.

   **

   Here are the top 10 states by highest average cash rents for irrigated 
cropland:

   1. California, $470 an acre.

   2. Hawaii, $437 an acre.

   3. Washington, $430 an acre.

   4. Arizona, $328 an acre.

   5. Massachusetts, $297 an acre.

   6. Idaho, $287 an acre.

   7. Iowa, $285 an acre.

   8. Nebraska, $283 an acre.

   9. Florida, $279 an acre.

   10. Indiana, $277 an acre.

   **

   The full list of average cash rents is available here: 
https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/58B27A06-F574-315B-A854-9BF568F17652#78
78272B-A9F3-3BC2-960D-5F03B7DF4826/

   USDA is scheduled to release county-level cash rent data at 2 p.m. CDT on 
Friday, Aug. 21.

   Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com

   Follow him on social platform X @DTNeeley




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