By Wyatt Bechtel
Pasture rent is an expense most cattle producers negotiate on a yearly basis and it can fluctuate based on competition from other grazers. This year cash rent pasture rates averaged $12.50/acre nationally, down $0.50/acre from last year and $1.50/acre lower than 2015. Rental rates in 2013-14 stayed at $12/acre and in 2012 were down to $11.50/acre, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Still, it begs the question where can a cattle producer or livestock grazer find the best deal on grazing? And where is land in the highest demand for grazing?
The most expensive county to rent pasture in 2017 is Snohomish County, Washington where reported cash rents were $128/acre. The cheapest county to rent pasture in this year is Culberson County, Texas where reported cash rents were $0.60/acre.
The only other county with $100/acre or higher rent was Chester County, Pennsylvania at $113/acre. Of the 50 highest priced pasture rent counties in the country, Iowa has 39% of the counties in the top 50.
Forty-nine of the 50 lowest pasture cash rent counties are located in western states with rocky or desert terrain like Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and Utah, with prices being $3/acre or lower. Lewis County, West Virginia was the only county east of the Mississippi River to rank in the top 50 lowest, tied with Glasscock County, Texas and Weston County, Wyoming.