Average cropland and pastureland cash rental rates can be helpful to both agricultural producers and landowners in planning leasing arrangements or making production decisions.

Figure 1. State-level farmland cash rent by year

Knowledge of farmland cash rental rates can be helpful in updating leasing arrangements and budgeting production costs. Farmland cash rental rates were released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service August 2, 2024, and are available on the USDA website. Rates are given for irrigated cropland, nonirrigated cropland, and pastureland for each county.

The following are key highlights.

• Cash rental rates increased slightly in Alabama from 2023:
  • Cropland averaged $74.50, up $4.50 from 2023
  • Pastureland averaged $23.50, down $0.50 from 2023
• The statewide rate for irrigated cropland was $140 per acre, compared to $70.50 for nonirrigated cropland
• Cash rental rates slightly increased in neighboring states, following the trend of the past 5 years
• Cash rent varies significantly by county within Alabama, with the highest rates for the following:
  • Irrigated cropland: Lawrence County at $155 per acre
  • Nonirrigated cropland: Limestone County at $112 per acre
  • Pastureland: Coffee County at $48 per acre

Statewide Farmland Cash Rent

Statewide cash rental values have gradually increased in Alabama and neighboring states over the past decade (figure 1).

Cropland averaged $74.50 per acre in Alabama, up 6.4 percent from 2023. Irrigated cropland had a rental rate of $140 per acre, an increase of $3 from 2023, and nonirrigated cropland received a rate of $70.50 per acre, up $4 from 2023.

Pastureland had a rental rate of $23.50 per acre, down $.50 from 2023, but still with little change over the past 5 years. In the past decade, both cropland and pastureland rental values have had modest increases in all states across the region. Current cropland rates in Alabama fall behind neighboring states, with Georgia leading the way at $153 per acre. For pastureland, Alabama falls behind Georgia and Tennessee, with Georgia leading the region at a rate of $34.50 per acre.

Figure 2. Alabama farmland cash rent by county 2024 ($/acre)

Cash Rent by County

Rental rates vary significantly within the state. See figure 2 for cash rent values by county (or group of counties) and type of farmland. The highest-value irrigated cropland is in Lawrence County at $155 per acre, with the lowest rate in Dale County at $72 per acre. For nonirrigated cropland, Limestone and Colbert Counties both had rental rates more than $100. Escambia, Franklin, Baldwin, and Lauderdale Counties have also fallen into this higher range, with rates typically between $80 and $95 per acre. The lowest rate for nonirrigated cropland was in Clarke County at $13 per acre. Pastureland received the highest rate in Coffee County at $48 per acre, with the lowest rate in Clay County at $6.30 per acre.

Table 1 shows how cash rental values by county have changed since 2023. Compared to 2023, cash-rent for irrigated cropland increased in all but four counties, while cash rent for nonirrigated cropland increased in thirty-three of the state’s sixty-seven counties. Results were mixed for pastureland, with 59 counties seeing declines in cash rent from 2023.

Some of these differences across years are due to changes in methodology regarding the level at which cash rent was measured. For instance, in 2023, the rate for irrigated cropland in Dale County was calculated alongside other Wiregrass region counties in the multicounty average, but for 2024, Dale County was measured independently, while other Wiregrass region counties were calculated in the multicounty average. While this gives a more precise 2024 calculation for Dale County, it reflects an increase on a less precise number, as Dale County fell into the multicounty category for 2023. While the county-level values may give a rough estimate of the cash rent, they are often combined with other counties’ values (denoted with an asterisk in table 1), so please keep that in mind when using this information.

Conclusion

Average cropland and pastureland cash rental rates can be helpful to both agricultural producers and landowners when planning leasing arrangements or making production decisions. However, when using this information, remember that attributes land plots differ within a county, and the values presented in this publication are simply averages. Careful thought should be used when making decisions regarding the rental value of land.