Report
Farm cash rents in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa: 2026
USDA put 2026 cropland cash rent at $271 an acre in Iowa and $206 in Minnesota, and Wisconsin non-irrigated rent at $166. County tables and sources inside.
By Jordan Johnson, Founder, Kedron Co.Updated 10 min read
USDA put 2026 cropland cash rent at $271 an acre in Iowa and $206 an acre in Minnesota, and Wisconsin's non-irrigated cropland rent at $166 an acre. University surveys land close to those numbers, and lenders report rents easing slightly across the region. County detail for Iowa and Minnesota is below, with the source and release date on every table.
2026 cash rents by state
| Iowa | Minnesota | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA NASS 2026 cash rent | $271 (cropland) | $206 (cropland) | $166 (non-irrigated cropland), up $5 |
| University survey | $270 corn and soybean land, 2026 (ISU), down $1 | $212.66 average rent paid, 2025 (UMN FINBIN) | none found for 2026 |
| Lender-reported change in 2026 rents | down 4% (Chicago Fed) | no state figure; Ninth District (MN and neighboring states) non-irrigated rents down more than 2% (Minneapolis Fed) | down 1% (Chicago Fed) |
| USDA NASS 2026 cropland value | $10,700 | $7,300 | $7,600 |
| Rent as a share of cropland value (Kedron calc.) | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.2% |
Sources: Iowa and Minnesota NASS rents as reported by DTN, "USDA: California Had Highest Average Cropland Cash Rent in 2026," July 31, 2026, from NASS's July 31, 2026 state cash rents release. Wisconsin NASS rent from the Wisconsin Farm Reporter, August 2026. ISU Cash Rental Rates for Iowa, 2026 Survey, revised May 2026. UMN Center for Farm Financial Management, Cropland Rental Rates for Minnesota Counties, updated August 2026. Chicago Fed AgLetter, May 2026. Minneapolis Fed first-quarter 2026 ag credit survey, May 18, 2026 (Ninth District, not Minnesota alone). Cropland values: USDA NASS Land Values 2026 Summary, July 31, 2026.
Nationally, NASS put 2026 cropland rent at $160 an acre, $1 lower than 2025, and ranked Iowa third and Minnesota ninth among the states (DTN, July 31, 2026). In Wisconsin, pasture rented for cash averaged $44.50 an acre in 2026, 50 cents below 2025 (Wisconsin Farm Reporter, August 2026).
Iowa cash rent by county, 2026
ISU surveyed 1,450 farm operators, landowners, farm managers, realtors and lenders. The table below covers four of Iowa's nine districts, including the northeast hunting counties and the south-central counties where rents are lowest. The response count is the number of survey answers behind each county figure.
| County | District | Responses | Avg. cash rent ($/acre) | Avg. row-crop CSR2 | Rent per CSR2 point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista | Northwest | 13 | $292 | 86 | $3.40 |
| Cherokee | Northwest | 26 | $306 | 90 | $3.40 |
| Clay | Northwest | 16 | $273 | 86 | $3.17 |
| Dickinson | Northwest | 10 | $257 | 87 | $2.95 |
| Emmet | Northwest | 9 | $248 | 81 | $3.06 |
| Lyon | Northwest | 10 | $331 | 80 | $4.14 |
| O'Brien | Northwest | 22 | $308 | 94 | $3.28 |
| Osceola | Northwest | 9 | $281 | 86 | $3.27 |
| Palo Alto | Northwest | 16 | $280 | 82 | $3.41 |
| Plymouth | Northwest | 37 | $292 | 82 | $3.56 |
| Pocahontas | Northwest | 26 | $284 | 82 | $3.46 |
| Sioux | Northwest | 22 | $332 | 88 | $3.77 |
| Allamakee & Winneshiek | Northeast | 13 | $274 | 76 | $3.61 |
| Black Hawk | Northeast | 19 | $301 | 86 | $3.50 |
| Bremer | Northeast | 9 | $305 | 84 | $3.63 |
| Buchanan | Northeast | 14 | $274 | 83 | $3.30 |
| Chickasaw | Northeast | 10 | $310 | 83 | $3.73 |
| Clayton | Northeast | 9 | $269 | 68 | $3.96 |
| Delaware | Northeast | 11 | $325 | 77 | $4.22 |
| Dubuque | Northeast | 6 | $321 | 69 | $4.65 |
| Fayette | Northeast | 10 | $253 | 81 | $3.12 |
| Howard | Northeast | 7 | $276 | 83 | $3.33 |
| Appanoose | South Central | 7 | $219 | 74 | $2.96 |
| Clarke | South Central | 7 | $207 | 77 | $2.69 |
| Decatur & Ringgold | South Central | 11 | $201 | 75 | $2.68 |
| Lucas | South Central | 13 | $187 | 73 | $2.56 |
| Madison | South Central | 15 | $220 | 86 | $2.56 |
| Marion | South Central | 17 | $235 | 80 | $2.94 |
| Monroe | South Central | 6 | $233 | 82 | $2.84 |
| Union | South Central | 8 | $231 | 85 | $2.72 |
| Warren | South Central | 7 | $242 | 85 | $2.85 |
| Wayne | South Central | 12 | $173 | 66 | $2.62 |
| Davis | Southeast | 8 | $200 | 70 | $2.86 |
| Des Moines | Southeast | 10 | $272 | 84 | $3.24 |
| Henry | Southeast | 16 | $283 | 81 | $3.49 |
| Jefferson | Southeast | 7 | $255 | 79 | $3.23 |
| Keokuk | Southeast | 11 | $244 | 80 | $3.05 |
| Lee | Southeast | 13 | $286 | 75 | $3.81 |
| Louisa | Southeast | 10 | $259 | 80 | $3.24 |
| Mahaska & Wapello | Southeast | 13 | $243 | 81 | $3.00 |
| Van Buren | Southeast | 9 | $214 | 73 | $2.93 |
| Washington | Southeast | 11 | $294 | 82 | $3.59 |
Source: Iowa State University, Cash Rental Rates for Iowa, 2026 Survey (AgDM File C2-10, revised May 2026). Typical cash rent for corn and soybean land. Some counties are reported together.
Iowa cash rent by district, 2026
| District | Responses | Avg. cash rent | Rent per CSR2 point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | 216 | $290 | $3.41 |
| North Central | 199 | $272 | $3.44 |
| Northeast | 108 | $291 | $3.70 |
| West Central | 188 | $292 | $3.78 |
| Central | 261 | $287 | $3.44 |
| East Central | 138 | $274 | $3.39 |
| Southwest | 129 | $250 | $3.13 |
| South Central | 103 | $215 | $2.74 |
| Southeast | 108 | $255 | $3.24 |
| State | 1,450 | $270 | $3.36 |
Source: ISU Cash Rental Rates for Iowa, 2026 Survey. Statewide, ISU's high-quality third averaged $314, the middle third $269 and the low third $226. Of 99 counties, 47 rose from 2025, 49 fell and 3 were unchanged (Farm Progress, June 2, 2026).
ISU also reports other rents statewide: high-productivity pasture $102 an acre, low-productivity pasture $63, cornstalk grazing $13 and hunting rights $25, all listed under its "$ per acre" heading. For how to use rent per CSR2 point on a specific farm, see CSR2 and price per acre in Iowa.
Minnesota cash rent by county
| County | NASS 2026 non-irrigated estimate | FINBIN 2025 average paid | FINBIN 2025 median | FINBIN 2025 range (10th to 90th percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin | $280 | $283.76 | $271.33 | $200.00 to $321.16 |
| Goodhue | $277 | $261.48 | $243.66 | $125.00 to $334.48 |
| Rice | $276 | $271.39 | $236.01 | $168.19 to $309.78 |
| Nicollet | $275 | $258.43 | $252.23 | $185.74 to $320.01 |
| Renville | $268 | $241.76 | $238.82 | $205.88 to $300.00 |
| Fillmore | $263 | $266.47 | $235.25 | $128.29 to $319.76 |
| Faribault | $254 | $259.05 | $264.55 | $119.75 to $316.00 |
| Blue Earth | $252 | $267.63 | $249.11 | $146.50 to $300.51 |
| Olmsted | $246 | $232.90 | $236.30 | $134.97 to $278.25 |
| Wabasha | $241 | $240.16 | $220.78 | $61.05 to $300.00 |
| Houston | $217 | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Winona | $208 | $227.32 | $214.59 | $115.98 to $281.02 |
| Stearns | $191 | $169.44 | $159.94 | $70.59 to $253.32 |
| Polk | $166 | $115.91 | $100.00 | $65.00 to $189.20 |
| Otter Tail | $124 | $110.26 | $96.45 | $42.22 to $172.03 |
| Marshall | $114 | $88.15 | $70.00 | $40.25 to $130.00 |
| Kittson | $89.50 | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Chisago | $81 | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Pine | $40.50 | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Aitkin | $18.50 | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Redwood | no NASS figure | $259.92 | $275.00 | $151.79 to $313.74 |
| Minnesota | $205 | $212.66 | $220.00 | $88.91 to $305.05 |
Source: UMN Center for Farm Financial Management, Cropland Rental Rates for Minnesota Counties, updated August 2026, which reports FINBIN farm records for 2025 alongside NASS 2026 county estimates. FINBIN reports a county only when at least 10 farms had cash-rented acres. UMN says its NASS figures are for non-irrigated land only.
FINBIN is what farms in its database actually paid, so the range matters as much as the average. In Goodhue County the 10th to 90th percentile range runs from $125 to $334 an acre. A single "county rent" hides that spread. The $205 statewide NASS figure in this table is for non-irrigated cropland, while the $206 in the state table above is NASS's figure for all cropland, irrigated included. Wisconsin's NASS figures split the same way: $170 for all cropland and $166 for non-irrigated (Wisconsin Farm Reporter, August 2026). Quote the $206 for Minnesota cropland as a whole.
Wisconsin cash rent by county
NASS released its 2026 county cash rent estimates on August 21, 2026 (DTN). The Wisconsin county figures for non-irrigated cropland are printed in the Wisconsin Farm Reporter, August 2026, and in NASS's Quick Stats database. They run from $247 an acre in Grant County and $240 in Lafayette County to $16 in Douglas County, against $166 statewide. NASS leaves some counties unpublished to avoid disclosing individual operations. To find a county's figure in Quick Stats, choose sector Economics, group Expenses, commodity Rent, the data item for cash rent on non-irrigated cropland, geographic level County, state Wisconsin and year 2026.
For context, the University of Wisconsin reported a 2025 Wisconsin cash rent of $161 an acre, about 2.2% of land value (UW-Madison Extension, May 20, 2026).
How to read these numbers
- The sources measure different things. NASS estimates rent from its Cash Rents Survey. ISU asks people who know rents what is typical for corn and soybean land. FINBIN reports what farms in its record-keeping database actually paid. The Fed banks ask lenders how rents changed. Quote each with its name and year.
- Response counts matter. Dubuque County's $321 rests on 6 ISU responses. Plymouth County's $292 rests on 37. The thinner the count, the less weight a single county figure can carry in a lease talk.
- Rent per CSR2 point is a ratio, not a price. ISU divides average rent by the county's average row-crop CSR2 index. It is a starting point for comparing farms of different soil quality, not a rate a landlord is owed.
- Rent as a share of value is low. At 2.2% to 2.8% of USDA's cropland value (Kedron calculation), cash rent covers a small return on the land's price.
- Leases turn on deadlines, not averages. If the land you're listing is rented, the termination notice date controls when a buyer can farm it. See farm lease termination deadlines in MN, WI and IA.
When this updates
| Source | Latest | Next expected |
|---|---|---|
| USDA NASS state cash rents | July 31, 2026 | Summer 2027 |
| USDA NASS county cash rents | August 21, 2026 (Quick Stats) | Check the NASS release calendar |
| ISU Cash Rental Rates for Iowa | May 2026 | May 2027 |
| UMN FINBIN county rents | August 2026 | Check the CFFM page |
| Chicago Fed AgLetter | May 2026 (rent change) | Quarterly; next issue November 2026 |
Figures on this page are as of September 30, 2026. We'll update it when ISU publishes its 2027 rent survey in May 2027 and when NASS releases 2027 state rents.
For land values alongside these rents, see land values in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. More reports are on the market data page.
If you're listing rented ground, put the county rent, its source and the current lease terms in the listing packet. Buyers who farm will ask for all three.
Common questions
Which Iowa counties have the highest and lowest cash rent?
In ISU's 2026 survey, Sioux ($332) and Lyon ($331) had the highest average rents, and Wayne ($173) and Lucas ($187) had the lowest.
