Surveys

Cash Rents

Cash Rents Survey

The Cash Rents Survey provides the basis for county estimates of the cash rent paid for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland, and pasture.  The 2008 Farm Bill mandated that NASS provide mean rental rates for all counties with 20,000 acres of cropland plus pasture.

NASS conducts the county-level Cash Rents survey every year in all states except Alaska. U.S. and state estimates are released in August every year. All qualifying counties in these states are represented in the sample.  The target population is all farms and ranches that have historically rented land on a cash basis for any of the three land use categories.  Land rented for a share of the crop, on a fee per head, per pound of gain, by animal unit month (AUM), rented free of charge, or land that includes buildings such as barns are excluded from the survey.

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Data Visualizations:


Expense
(Measured in $/Acre)

Methodology and Quality Measures
August 2, 2024
August 22, 2023
August 26, 2022
August 6, 2021
August 6, 2020
August 6, 2019
August 9, 2018
August 3, 2017
August 5, 2016
August 5, 2015
August 1, 2014
August 2, 2013
August 3, 2012
September 9, 2011
Program Content

Approximately 280,000 farms and ranches across the United States are contacted for their total acres operated and acres rented for cash for each land use category (irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland, and permanent pasture) for the current year.  For each land use category with positive acres, respondents are given the option of reporting rent per acre or total dollars paid.

Uses

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) uses cash rent county estimates to determine market-based rates in administering USDA programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Other state and federal government agencies, universities, and research organizations use these data for other forms of economic analysis.  The data provide farmers and ranchers with current information about rental rates in their county and are available for their use in making decisions regarding renting and leasing farmland.

Frequency

The Cash Rents Survey is conducted every other year beginning with the first mail out in mid-February.

Methods

Data collection for the Cash Rents Survey is conducted by mail and telephone.  The initial mail-out occurs in mid-February followed by a second mailing in mid-March.  Non-response phone follow-up is conducted from April to July from NASS’ Data Collection Centers.  Some field follow up is conducted to insure adequate response rates for the survey.  Over 35 percent of the survey is collected by mail.

Data are summarized to provide the mean cash rental rate for each land use category in each district and county.  District and county mean rates must reconcile to a previously published state mean cash rental rate for each category.  State level mean cash rents are estimated from the Cash Rents Survey.  Samples for this survey are drawn with a county-level stratified design.  An additional indication is also available from the June Area Survey.  This is a probability sample of land segments selected from the complete NASS area sampling frame stratified and sampled by intensity of agriculture.

Related Programs

Census of Agriculture
June Area Survey

Report Form and Instructions

Last Modified: 04/18/2024