Updated May, 2023
File C2-10

Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2023 Survey

The cash rental rate information presented in this publication is from a survey of farmers, landowners, agricultural lenders, and professional farm managers. They supplied information based on their best judgments about typical cash rental rates for high, medium, and low quality cropland in their counties, as well as for land devoted to production of hay, oat, and pasture. The survey does not ask about rents for individual farms. The rental rates summarized in this publication do not include the value of any buildings or storage structures, manure application contracts, or seed production contracts.

The cooperation and assistance of the landowners, farmers, and agribusiness people who responded to this survey are greatly appreciated. The distribution of the 1,306 responses was 42% from farm operators, 37% from landowners, 9% from professional farm managers and realtors, 7% from agricultural lenders, and 5% from other professions and respondents who chose not to report their status. Respondents indicated being familiar with 1.4 million cash rented acres across the state.

figure 1

Additional survey information about cash rental rates by county is available from the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS).

Determining Cash Rents

This summary can be used as a reference point for determining an appropriate cash rental rate for a particular farm. The following may justify a higher or lower than average rent in specific cases:

  • Small size or unusual shape of fields
  • Terraces or creeks that affect the time it takes to plant and harvest crops
  • Difficult or restricted access to fields
  • High or low fertility levels or pH index
  • Existence of contracts for growing seed or specialty grains, or manure application
  • Above-average local grain prices due to proximity to biofuel plants or feed mills
  • USDA program variables, such as crop bases and assigned yields
  • Longevity of the lease
  • Other services performed by the tenant

map of Iowa districts

Resources for further details on rental agreements can be found on the Ag Decision Maker Leasing page, located under Whole Farm, Leasing.

table

Definitions

Number of responses – number of individuals who reported typical rental rates for each county.
2018-2022 average yields – based on available farm level data collected by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for each county.
Average row crop CSR2 index – average corn suitability rating 2 (CSR2) for the highest rated acres in each county, up to 110% of the number of acres planted to corn and soybeans in that county. Note: CSR2 values, updated in 2020, are based on the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey.
High, medium and low quality third land – quality of land planted to corn and soybeans, using typical corn yields collected by USDA NASS as a reference for land quality within the county.
Typical corn and soybean yields – average yields for the high third, medium third, and low third productivity farms in each county, special tabulation by USDA NASS, 2018-2022.
Average rents per unit – overall average rent for corn and soybean land in each county divided by the five-year average corn yield, five-year average soybean yield, and the average row crop CSR2 index value for each county.
High-productivity pasture – pasture with adequate fence and water that can stock a cow in 2.5 or fewer acres.
Low-productivity pasture – pasture with adequate fence and water that needs more than 2.5 acres to stock a cow.
Pasture, $/Animal Unit Month (AUM) – rent charged per animal unit month. One AUM is equal to one beef cow or its equivalent grazing for one month. 
Cornstalk grazing – includes grazing of cornstalks in fall or winter, but not mechanical harvesting. 
Hunting rights – rent charged to allow hunting on land, per year.

The 2023 tables of estimated cash rental rates are presented in the accompanying "pdf" file that you can access by clicking here or on the icon above.

Historic Farmland Cash Rental Rate Surveys:

 

Alejandro Plastina, extension economist, 515-294-6160, plastina@iastate.edu
Ann M. Johanns, extension program specialist, 515-337-2766, aholste@iastate.edu
Ayah Gleisner, Jacob Severn, Savanna Wuebker, Roger Castillo Ramos, Kalpes Bhandari, Madhav Dhimal, undergraduate research assistants

Author

Alejandro Plastina

extension economist
515-294-6160
View more from this author

Author

Ann M. Johanns

extension program specialist
515-337-2766
View more from this author