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Cropland rental rates

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Quick facts

  • Reported rental rates include both family and unrelated party land rental contracts as well as long-term rental contracts.
    • Rental rates between family members can be lower than those between unrelated parties.
    • Long-term rental contracts generally do not change dramatically during the length of the contract and therefore may affect the weighted average numbers used in the data calculations.
  • The land rental rates shown may not align with rents being paid for new land coming on the market.

This information is meant as a guide and starting point. The information and data is not meant to establish, determine, set, fix or suggest what actual rents should be. It is a report of historical land rental rates in Minnesota.

This page provides a historical perspective on rental rates paid by a group of Minnesota farmers and trends in those rental rates over the past five years.

Historical rental data is included. Weighted average rental rates are listed by county for each year. 

We cannot statistically project future rental rates. The numbers listed are weighted averages. That means there are rents both above and below the numbers listed.

Also included is county rental data gathered by the USDA National Ag Statistical Service (NASS) in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The USDA/NASS data is collected by mail-out survey state-wide. It is an excellent comparison to use with the FINBIN data.

Cropland rental rate map

Click on any county to see area statistics.

Cropland rental rates spreadsheet

View information for your region and county in our cropland rental rates spreadsheet.

Analysis method

The FINBIN database includes enterprise-level income and expenses for thousands of acres of Minnesota farmland. To compile this report:

  • Rental rates are extracted for cash-rented land.
  • All row crop acres, small grain acres, canning crop acres, etc. are included in the data analysis.
  • All normal farming practices for the regions were included in the analysis.
  • The USDA/NASS numbers are for row crops on non-irrigated land only.
  • Not included in the analysis are acres allocated to, pasture, aftermath grazing, hay and haylage acres, CRP acres, or follow and prevented planted acres.

Data is organized by county

  • Counties with a minimum of 10 farms with cash-rented acreage are included.
  • If a given county does not have rent data listed, there were not enough farms reporting data.
  • Counties with only partial FINBIN data and a USDA/NASS number have been included because they meet the 10 farm minimum criteria.
  • Counties with only a USDA/NASS number have less than 10 farmers reporting FINBIN data.

Note: Some Minnesota counties may have no FINBIN rental rates reported, which may be due to staff reductions in Farm Business Management programs and the resulting loss of participating farms in those counties. USDA/NASS data for those regions are listed.

The USDA/NASS data for each county is included for purposes of comparison. The majority of Minnesota Counties have a USDA/NASS average rent number listed. The numbers are for non-irrigated farmland only.

These rental rates include both family and unrelated party land rental contracts as well as long-term rental contracts.

  • Rental rates between family members can be lower than those between unrelated parties.
  • Long-term rental contracts generally do not change much during the length of the contract and therefore may affect the weighted average numbers used in the data calculations.
  • The land rental rates shown here may not align with rents being paid for new land coming on the market.

Cropland rental rates tables

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Authors: David Bau, Extension educator; Dale Nordquist, Rann Loppnow and Pauline Van Nurden, Center for Farm Financial Management

Reviewed in 2022

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