CGCustomGrazing

Texas grazing rates

Texas pasture rent runs $15.00/pair/mo per cow-calf pair and $14.50/AUM (USDA NASS, 2020 survey). Pastureland cash rent averages $7.70/acre (USDA NASS, 2025). Grass hay is $111/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $1.89 per pair per day.

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Southern Plains · Texas

This week

Feeder Cattle Index
$359.19/​cwt
national
Feeder cattle
$341.38/​cwt
782 lb avg, TX
Grass hay
$111/​ton
TX
Hay feed cost
$1.89
per pair per day

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

What grass rents for

NASS pastureland rent
$14.50/​AUM
USDA NASS, 2024 survey
Cow-calf pair rent
$15.00/​pair/​mo
USDA NASS, 2020 survey
State cash rent
$7.70/​acre
USDA NASS, 2025 survey
Top counties by pastureland cash rent (212 of Texas’s counties reporting)
County$/acreYear
Falls County$21.00/acre2025
Rains County$19.50/acre2025
McLennan County$19.00/acre2025
Fannin County$19.00/acre2025
Franklin County$19.00/acre2025
Hopkins County$18.50/acre2025
Cooke County$18.50/acre2025
Wharton County$18.50/acre2025
Delta County$18.50/acre2025
Bell County$18.50/acre2025
Milam County$18.00/acre2025
Waller County$18.00/acre2025
Fort Bend County$18.00/acre2025
Bowie County$18.00/acre2025
Polk County$17.50/acre2025
$/AUM by year, TX
$14.5$102010: $11.52012: $14.42016: $12.52017: $12.52018: $12.52019: $12.52020: $11.52021: $102022: $122023: $122024: $14.5201020162018202020222024

Source: USDA NASS Cash Rents, USDA NASS, 2024 survey.

Hay feed cost

Hay feed cost
$1.89
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.

Grass gain

Grass at $14.50/AUM prices gain at $0.17 to $0.22 per lb. The market pays $341.38/cwt for 782-lb feeders this week.

yearling at 0.7 AU. 1.5 to 2.0 lb per day gain on grass.

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 Texas?

Texas pasture rent runs $15.00/pair/mo per cow-calf pair and $14.50/AUM (USDA NASS, 2020 survey).

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

Grass hay is $111/ton this week (USDA AMS). Feeding that hay costs about $1.89 per pair per day.

What do Texas pastureland cash rents run per acre?

Pastureland cash rent averages $7.70/acre (USDA NASS, 2025).