CGCustomGrazing

Iowa grazing rates

Pastureland cash rent averages $65.00/acre (USDA NASS, 2025). Grass hay is $168/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $2.86 per pair per day.

Midwest · Iowa

This week

Feeder Cattle Index
$359.19/​cwt
national
Feeder cattle
$367.10/​cwt
811 lb avg, IA
Grass hay
$168/​ton
IA
Hay feed cost
$2.86
per pair per day

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

What grass rents for

State cash rent
$65.00/​acre
USDA NASS, 2025 survey
Top counties by pastureland cash rent (90 of Iowa’s counties reporting)
County$/acreYear
Pottawattamie County$89.50/acre2025
Woodbury County$86.50/acre2025
Plymouth County$84.00/acre2025
Audubon County$83.00/acre2025
Page County$80.00/acre2025
Tama County$80.00/acre2025
Ringgold County$79.50/acre2025
Iowa County$79.50/acre2025
Sac County$77.00/acre2025
Buchanan County$76.50/acre2025
Johnson County$76.50/acre2025
Bremer County$76.00/acre2025
Montgomery County$75.50/acre2025
Carroll County$75.50/acre2025
Floyd County$75.00/acre2025

Source: USDA NASS Cash Rents.

Hay feed cost

Hay feed cost
$2.86
per pair per day, this week
Grass hay, winter average by year, IA
$188.94/ton$99.6/ton2022: $162.01/ton2023: $188.94/ton2024: $161.72/ton2025: $104.26/ton2026: $99.6/ton20222023202420252026

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 it cost to feed hay instead of grazing in Iowa?

Grass hay is $168/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $2.86 per pair per day.

What do Iowa pastureland cash rents run per acre?

Pastureland cash rent averages $65.00/acre (USDA NASS, 2025).