US Cropland Tops $6,000 per Acre for First Time in 2026

Progressive Farmer’s Chris Clayton reported that “U.S. farmland values continued to rise this year, with the average value of cropland topping $6,000 for the first time, while pastureland reached $2,000 an acre.”

“USDA (this past) Friday released its annual Land Values Summary report, covering both cropland and pasture. The average value includes not only the value of land but also farm buildings,” Clayton reported. “Overall, farm real estate in the U.S. — cropland and pasture combined — averaged $4,500 per acre this year, up $150 an acre from last year, or about 3.4%.”

“The average value of cropland this year reached $6,020 per acre, up $190 an acre from 2025, or 3.3%,” Clayton reported. “The average value of pasture reached $2,000 an acre, up $80 from last year, or 4.2%. While land values continue to rise, they are doing so at a slower pace than last year. Cropland value rose 4.7% in 2025, while pasture values rose 4.9% last year.”

“Since 2022, the average value of cropland has risen from $4,940 per acre nationally to $6,020, a gain of 21.8%,” Clayton reported. “…In the Corn Belt, cropland values in Iowa reached an average of $10,700 per acre, growing by 3.9% (from 2025). Illinois cropland reached $10,200 per acre, rising 3.6%. Ohio’s average cropland value also grew 3.6% to reach $10,100 per acre.”

“In the Northern Plains, South Dakota cropland values rose 3.5% to $4,770 per acre, while North Dakota cropland rose 3.3% to $2,800 per acre,” Clayton reported. “Kansas’ cropland value rose 2.9% to $3,540 per acre. Nebraska’s cropland value rose 2.4% to $6,960 per acre.”

“Looking at overall farmland values, the Corn Belt averaged $8,590 per acre,” Clayton reported. “Those states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio. The Pacific region — California, Oregon and Washington — came in at $8,440 per acre. Those figures include the value of land and buildings on farms.”

Farmland Values Strong Despite Challenging Farm Economy

AgDaily reported that “as international trade, input prices, and labor issues weighed on producers through the first half of 2026, one area that remained remarkably stable was confidence in the farmland market.”

“…’What we’ve seen this year is a farmland market that has remained steady despite a more challenging commodity outlook than many expected,’ said Tim Koch, executive vice president and chief banking officer for FCSAmerica and Frontier Farm Credit,” AgDaily reported. “‘Farmland values tend to reflect the confidence producers have in agriculture’s future which is based on the long-term earning potential of the land, and what we’re currently seeing is farmland values continuing to reflect the long-term strength of agriculture, rather than short-term swings in commodity prices.'”

“Farmers and ranchers continue to be the primary buyers of farmland, while limited supply has helped support values across much of the (Corn Belt) region,” AgDaily reported.

Average US Cropland Cash Rent Decreased $1 from 2025

Progressive Farmer’s Todd Neeley reported that “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. 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: