CGCustomGrazing

Colorado grazing rates

Colorado pasture rent runs $28.00/pair/mo per cow-calf pair and $23.50/AUM (USDA NASS, 2025 survey). Pastureland cash rent averages $7.00/acre (USDA NASS, 2025). Grass hay is $231/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $3.93 per pair per day.

USSouthern PlainsNorthern PlainsMidwestWestSoutheast

West · Colorado

This week

Feeder Cattle Index
$359.19/​cwt
national
Grass hay
$231/​ton
CO
Hay feed cost
$3.93
per pair per day

Source: USDA AMS via LivestockValue and HayValue, week of Jul 31, 2026

What grass rents for

NASS pastureland rent
$23.50/​AUM
USDA NASS, 2025 survey
Cow-calf pair rent
$28.00/​pair/​mo
USDA NASS, 2025 survey
State cash rent
$7.00/​acre
USDA NASS, 2025 survey
Top counties by pastureland cash rent (45 of Colorado’s counties reporting)
County$/acreYear
Rio Grande County$22.50/acre2025
Conejos County$18.50/acre2025
Chaffee County$18.50/acre2025
Boulder County$16.50/acre2025
Yuma County$14.00/acre2025
Washington County$12.00/acre2025
Morgan County$12.00/acre2025
Kit Carson County$12.00/acre2025
Jackson County$11.00/acre2025
Saguache County$11.00/acre2025
Douglas County$10.50/acre2025
Logan County$10.50/acre2025
Cheyenne County$10.50/acre2025
Gunnison County$9.70/acre2025
La Plata County$9.00/acre2025
$/AUM by year, CO
$23.5$152010: $152012: $172013: $17.52014: $172015: $172016: $17.52017: $192018: $19.52019: $18.52020: $19.52021: $19.52022: $19.52023: $202024: $222025: $23.5201020142017202020232025

Source: USDA NASS Cash Rents, USDA NASS, 2025 survey.

Hay feed cost

Hay feed cost
$3.93
per pair per day, this week

34 lb hay per pair per day (1.3 AU at 26 lb per AU). feeding waste not included.

Published benchmarks

Some figures are published rates, not CustomGrazing listing data. Each one names its source.

FigureValueSource
US average pastureland cash rent$15.50/acreUSDA NASS Cash Rents, 2025
Kansas Flint Hills summer lease occupancy97.2% of bluestem pasture under contract, 2024–25K-State Bluestem Pasture Report, 2025
Observed asking prices, full care$30–50/AUMasking prices observed in public listings, July 2026
Observed asking prices, Texas pair rate$30–40/pair/monthasking prices observed in public listings, July 2026
Observed asking prices, custom care$1.25–2.50/head/dayasking prices observed in public listings, July 2026

Common questions

What does pasture rent cost in Colorado?

Colorado pasture rent runs $28.00/pair/mo per cow-calf pair and $23.50/AUM (USDA NASS, 2025 survey).

What does it cost to feed hay instead of grazing in Colorado?

Grass hay is $231/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $3.93 per pair per day.

What do Colorado pastureland cash rents run per acre?

Pastureland cash rent averages $7.00/acre (USDA NASS, 2025).