By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Cash rents in Texas for pastureland and irrigated and non-irrigated cropland showed slight changes from last year, according to the new rental rates report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted a nationwide survey to gather data and compile a report showing the average cash rental rates across the U.S.

Pastureland
The statewide average for pastureland was $7.70 per acre, which is down slightly from $8.20 last year.

Ranchers in Falls County paid the most to rent pastureland at an average of $21 per acre.

Several counties have cash rent rates over $17, including:
Hale County – $17.00/acre
Red River County – $17.00/acre
Polk County – $17.50/acre
Ft. Bend County – $18.00/acre
Waller County – $18.00/acre
Bowie County – $18.00/acre
Milam County – $18.00/acre
Bell County – $18.50/acre
Cooke County – $18.50/acre
Delta County – $18.50/acre
Hopkins County – $18.50/acre
Wharton County – $18.50/acre
Franklin County – $19.00/acre
McLennan County – $19.00/acre
Fannin County – $19.00/acre
Rains County – $19.50/acre

The report shows ranchers pay the least to rent pasture in West Texas, at $0.40 and $0.60 per acre, in Ector and Hudspeth counties, respectively.

Irrigated cropland
The statewide average paid to rent irrigated cropland dropped to $117 per acre, down $4 from last year.

The highest average reported lease rates were in Gaines County at $199 per acre and El Paso County at $181 per acre.

The lowest reported rates for irrigated cropland, once again, came from Chambers County at $43.

Dryland cropland
The average cash rent rate for non-irrigated cropland in Texas is $36.50 per acre, which is an acre increase of $5 per acre from last year.

In San Patricio County, farmers once again reported paying the highest average cash rental rate. They reported paying $87.50 per acre, according to the USDA report.

Farmers in the following counties pay an average of $50 per acre or higher for dryland:
Victoria County – $51.50/acre
Fort Bend County – $52.00/acre
Williamson County – $52.50/acre
Terry County – $53.00/acre
Milam County – $53.50/acre
DeWitt County – $56.00/acre
Jackson County – $56.00/acre
Refugio County – $58.50/acre
Calhoun County – $61.00/acre
Wharton County – $62.00/acre
Matagorda County – $63.00/acre
Hidalgo County – $64.50/acre
Cameron County – $66.00/acre
Nueces County – $70.00/acre
Bee County – $70.50/acre
Willacy County – $75.50/acre

The lowest rental rates were recorded in Bandera County at $10 per acre and Comal County at $10.50 per acre.

More information
USDA NASS conducts the county-level cash rents survey in all states except Alaska.

The 2025 report was released Aug. 29.

The survey targets all farms and ranches that have historically rented land on a cash basis for pasture, irrigated cropland and non-irrigated cropland. Land rented for a share of the crop, on a fee per head, per pound of gain, by animal unit month, rented free of charge, or land that includes buildings such as barns are excluded from the survey.

Click here to view the database with the data for each state.

Click here to view the database with data for each county in the U.S.

Cash rent values in the article are listed on a per acre/per year format.