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

Knowing current farmland cash rental rates can be useful for updating leasing arrangements and for budgeting costs of production. Farmland cash rental rates were released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service on August 28, 2020. Rates are given for irrigated cropland, nonirrigated cropland, and pastureland for each county.

Some key highlights of these statistics are as follows:

• Cash rental rates increased slightly in Alabama between 2019 and 2020. Cropland averaged $68, up $5 from 2019, and pastureland averaged $23, up $1 from 2019.
• The statewide rate for irrigated cropland was $135 per acre, compared to $65.50 for nonirrigated cropland.
• Cash rental rates slightly increased in neighboring states, following the trend of the past 5 years.
• Cash rental rates vary greatly by county within Alabama, with highest rates for irrigated cropland being in the Wiregrass region, nonirrigated cropland in the Northern Valley and Coastal Plains and Gulf Coast regions, and pastureland in the Wiregrass region.

Statewide Farmland Cash Rental Values

Statewide cash rental values have gradually increased in Alabama over the past decade, similar to what has occurred in neighboring states (figure 1). Cropland averaged $68 per acre in Alabama, up 7 percent from 2019. Irrigated cropland had a rental rate of $135 per acre, an increase of $10 from 2019, while nonirrigated cropland received a rate of $65.50 per acre, up $5 from 2019. Pastureland had a rental rate of $23 per acre, with little change over the past 5 years.

Figure 1. State Level Farmland Cash Rental Values by Year.
Data source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Over the past decade, both cropland and pastureland rental values have had modest increases in all states across the region. Cropland rates in Alabama lag behind the other states, with Florida leading the way at $132 per acre. For pastureland, Alabama follows only Georgia, which leads the region with a rate of $30 per acre.

Cash Rental Rates by County

Rental rates vary greatly within the state. Cash rental values are shown in figure 2 by county (or group of counties) and type of farmland. The highest-value irrigated cropland continues to be in the Wiregrass and Northern Valley regions, fetching $148 to $166 per acre, with lowest rates in the Black Belt, at $50 to $66 per acre. For nonirrigated cropland, Lawrence, Limestone, Colbert, and Escambia Counties all had rental rates of more than $100. The lowest rate for nonirrigated cropland was Coosa County at $10.50 per acre. Pastureland received the highest rate in Baldwin County at $46 per acre; the lowest rate was in Lee County at $10 per acre.

Figure 2. Alabama Farmland Cash Rental Values by County, 2020 ($/acre)
Data source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Table 1 shows how cash rental values have changed by county since 2019. Since 2019, cash rental rates for irrigated cropland increased in all but 4 counties, while cash rental rates for nonirrigated cropland increased in 46 of the state’s 67 counties. Results were mixed for pastureland, with 34 counties seeing declines in cash rental rates from 2019.

Some of these differences across years are due to changes in methodology regarding the level at which cash rent was measured. Some county measures are aggregated with other counties, but this can change from year to year. For instance, in 2019, the rental rate for irrigated cropland in Cherokee County was measured independently, while the rest of the mountains and Eastern Valley region were calculated as a multicounty average; however, in 2020, all counties in the region were calculated as a multicounty average. Thus, the 140 percent increase in value for some of those counties in the region likely reflect the inclusion of the higher-value Cherokee County in the average. While the county-level values may give a rough estimate of the cash rental rate, they are often combined with other county values (denoted with an asterisk in table 1).

 

Table 1. Changes by County in Farmland Cash Rental Values from 2019 to 2020

*Represents Multi-County Averages
Data source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

County	Region	Irrigated Cropland 2019	Irrigated Cropland 2020	Change	Non-Irrigated Cropland 2019	Non-Irrigated Cropland 2020	Change	Pastureland 2019	Pastureland 2020	Change
Autauga	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	32.5	38.5	18.5%	24	23.5	-2.1%
Baldwin	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	117	12.5%	73	81.5	11.6%	37	46	24.3%
Barbour	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	49	55	12.2%	29	27.5	-5.2%
Bibb	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	17*	15.5*	-8.8%	23*	17	-26.1%
Blount	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	31	35.5	14.5%	25.5*	25.5	0.0%
Bullock	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	30	26.5	-11.7%	17.5	15	-14.3%
Butler	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	20	26.5	32.5%	17.5	17	-2.9%
Calhoun	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	34.5	45.5	31.9%	20	19.5	-2.5%
Chambers	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	25	31	24.0%	18.5	20.5	10.8%
Cherokee	Mountains & Eastern Valley	99	120*	21.2%	62.5	89	42.4%	25	27.5*	10.0%
Chilton	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	35	25	-28.6%	17	10.5	-38.2%
Choctaw	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	19.5*	29.5	51.3%	13.5	21.5	59.3%
Clarke	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	31	32	3.2%	16	16.5	3.1%
Clay	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	17.5	28.5	62.9%	21	12	-42.9%
Cleburne	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120	140.0%	34	39.5	16.2%	21.5	28.5	32.6%
Coffee	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	46.5	47	1.1%	40	33	-17.5%
Colbert	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	90	103	14.4%	17.5	24.5	40.0%
Conecuh	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	56.5	55.5	-1.8%	26.5	22.5	-15.1%
Coosa	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	13	10.5	-19.2%	23*	11.5*	-50.0%
Covington	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	55.5	65.5	18.0%	27	33.5	24.1%
Crenshaw	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	37.5*	34	-9.3%	22	24	9.1%
Cullman	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	33	40	21.2%	22.5	23.5	4.4%
Dale	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	43.5	47	8.0%	21	32	52.4%
Dallas	Black Belt	63*	50	-20.6%	34	35.5	4.4%	16.5	17.5	6.1%
De Kalb	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	48.5	53	9.3%	25.5*	27.5*	7.8%
Elmore	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	53.5	53.5	0.0%	16	17.5	9.4%
Escambia	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	130	122*	-6.2%	100	102	2.0%	37	34	-8.1%
Etowah	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	42.5	48.5	14.1%	28	36	28.6%
Fayette	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	27	39.5	46.3%	20	11.5	-42.5%
Franklin	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	47	58.5	24.5%	23	26	13.0%
Geneva	Wiregrass	140	166*	18.6%	59.5	53.5	-10.1%	31.5	27.5	-12.7%
Greene	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	28.5	18	-36.8%	13	17.5	34.6%
Hale	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	30.5	25.5*	-16.4%	25.5	24.5	-3.9%
Henry	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	44	49.5	12.5%	28	31	10.7%
Houston	Wiregrass	167	162	-3.0%	53	60.5	14.2%	30.5	41	34.4%
Jackson	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	59	49.5	-16.1%	31	29.5	-4.8%
Jefferson	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	17*	15.5*	-8.8%	23*	11.5*	-50.0%
Lamar	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	27.5	38.5	40.0%	18	19	5.6%
Lauderdale	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	68	75.5	11.0%	24	23	-4.2%
Lawrence	Northern Valley	151	148	-2.0%	99	107	8.1%	22.5	30.5	35.6%
Lee	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	21	17	-19.0%	14	10	-28.6%
Limestone	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	107	105	-1.9%	32.5	31	-4.6%
Lowndes	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	36	25.5*	-29.2%	19	17.5	-7.9%
Macon	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	46	50	8.7%	16.5	20	21.2%
Madison	Northern Valley	97	151*	55.7%	66	96	45.5%	28.5	23	-19.3%
Marengo	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	38	39	2.6%	22	28	27.3%
Marion	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	28.5	27	-5.3%	22	14.5	-34.1%
Marshall	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	34	38	11.8%	29	28.5	-1.7%
Mobile	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	48.5	81.5	68.0%	22.5	24	6.7%
Monroe	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	97	122*	25.8%	73	79.5	8.9%	27	44.5	64.8%
Montgomery	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	21	18	-14.3%	19.5	20	2.6%
Morgan	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	46.5	67.5	45.2%	26.5	23.5	-11.3%
Perry	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	37.5	48	28.0%	20.5	17.5	-14.6%
Pickens	Upper Plains & Piedmont	212*	125*	3.3%	34	36	5.9%	13.5	13	-3.7%
Pike	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	38	36.5	-3.9%	19	31	63.2%
Randolph	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	19.5	26	33.3%	23	19.5	-15.2%
Russell	Wiregrass	138*	166*	20.3%	37.5*	45.5	21.3%	19.5	19.5	0.0%
Saint Clair	Mountains & Eastern Valley	50*	120*	140.0%	28	21	-25.0%	23.5	16	-31.9%
Shelby	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	35.5	40	12.7%	15	25.5	70.0%
Sumter	Black Belt	63*	66*	4.8%	20	15	-25.0%	13.5	13	-3.7%
Talladega	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	49	49.5	1.0%	16	13	-18.8%
Tallapoosa	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	30	35.5	18.3%	12	13.5	12.5%
Tuscaloosa	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	34.5	38.5	11.6%	24	28.5	18.8%
Walker	Upper Plains & Piedmont	121*	125*	3.3%	22	21	-4.5%	23*	15.5	-32.6%
Washington	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	47.5	31.5	-33.7%	24	20.5	-14.6%
Wilcox	Coastal Plains & Gulf Coast	104*	122*	17.3%	19.5*	30.5	56.4%	15	15.5	3.3%
Winston	Northern Valley	145*	151*	4.1%	21.5	22	2.3%	26.5	19	-28.3%

 

Regional Trends in Alabama

Lastly, we look at regional trends within the state (figure 3), using the crop-reporting districts defined by the USDA. Cash rental rates for irrigated cropland are highest in the Wiregrass region at $164 per acre and lowest in the Black Belt region at $56.50 per acre. Regional trends for nonirrigated cropland are relatively unclear. Cash rental values for nonirrigated cropland are highest in the Northern Valley at $93.50 per acre and lowest in the Upper Plains and Piedmont at $37 per acre. There have been modest and relatively consistent increases in cash rental values for nonirrigated cropland across the regions. Pastureland receives the highest cash rental rate in the Wiregrass region at $29.50 per acre and lowest in the Upper Plains and Piedmont at $17 per acre.

Figure 3. Farmland Cash Rental Trends by Region in Alabama.
Data source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

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, keep in mind that attributes of plots of land differ within a county, and the values presented in this publication are simply averages. Careful thought should be used when making any decisions regarding the rental value of land.

 

Download a PDF of 2020 Alabama Farmland Cash Rental Rates, ANR-2745.