Each year, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts a nationwide survey to gather data and compile a report showing average cash rental rates across the United States.

To view the database with the data for each state, click here.  To view the database with data for each county in the US, click here.  To view the report for Texas, broken down by region and county, click here.  Please note that all reported cash rent amounts are listed in a per acre/per year format.

Image by Schwoaze from Pixabay

Here’s how things broke down in the Lone Star State.  To see the average lease rates for your county in Texas, click here.

Pastureland

The highest pastureland rental rates were reported in Wharton County at $20.50/acre and Falls County at $20.00/acre.  The lowest pastureland averages were in Hudspeth and Winkler Counties, reporting $0.40 and $0.90/acre, respectively.  The statewide average for Texas came in at $7.10/acre, which is a $$0.10 increase from last year.

Irrigated Cropland

The highest average reported rate for irrigated cropland was $153.00/acre in Sherman County. The lowest reported rate for irrigated cropland came from Carson County at $38.50/acre.  The statewide average for Texas was $100/acre, up $5.00/acre from last year.

Non-Irrigated Cropland

The highest reported average rental rate for non-irrigated cropland is found in San Patricio County at $78.50/acre, followed by Nueces County at $67.00/acre.  The lowest reported rates were in Sutton County at $5.60/acre and Kendall County at $7.60/acre.  The statewide average was reported at $30.00/acre and remained unchanged from 2020.

District Summary

Dr. Greg Kaase pulled together the following table showing the average cash lease rates for 2020 and 2021 for each of Texas’ regions.

More Information

For more information on agricultural leases, we’ve got a number of other resources.  If you’d like to see another report that includes average lease rates, click here to see a blog post about the Texas Rural Land Value Trends Report.  To read about agricultural leases, check out Chapter 11 of the  Owning Your Piece of Texas Handbook or our Ranchers Agricultural Leasing Handbook.  We also have podcast episodes specifically discussing grazing, farm, and hunting leases.  Lastly, we’ve got a course specifically geared to grazing and hunting leases that is available in person or online.